MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a ceremonial launch of Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan jointly with his Kazakh and Uzbek counterparts, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, respectively, on Saturday.

The Russian leader last mentioned the importance of the project following talks with Mirziyoyev, who is staying in Russia with an official visit, on Friday. The Russian president noted that these will be "the first exports of a kind in the history of these gas pipeline systems, for never before has Russian gas been pumped toward Central Asia."

What Putin said was a mutually advantageous project, under which a certain amount of Russian natural gas will be supplied to Kazakhstan, too, would help strengthen energy security of the entire region.

Putin announced the upcoming start of Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan as he delivered a speech at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday. Russia will launch full-fledged natural gas supplies to Kazakhstan via Uzbekistan as early as this month and gradually increase the volume later on, the Russian leader said.