SAMARKAND, April 14. /TASS/. The gas union project between Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will strengthen energy security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Friday following his visit to Uzbekistan.

"Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, including at the level of presidents, have actively advanced in the discussion of this large-scale project, which will definitely strengthen energy security," he said.

"The benefits will be for everyone, since there are both gas suppliers and those who are interested in this gas when the parties agree both on the terms of transit and on the terms of the price, and if everyone is satisfied with everything, then everyone wins," he added.

On November 28, 2022, Presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan Vladimir Putin and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed the creation of a "tripartite gas union" with Uzbekistan. In the meantime, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that at the first stage it was about creating a coordination mechanism at the initiative of the Russian President. Later it became known that cooperation in the processing and supply of gas, including to new export destinations, was being discussed. To do this, the parties involved need to develop the gas infrastructure of the three countries, including the creation of a more extensive gas network in Russia worth 260 billion rubles ($3.2 bln).