Sadyr Japarov hints at seizing Gazprom assets in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has warned Russia’s Gazprom that he will take back the country’s gas network and expand it himself if the company continues to fall short of its commitments.
Speaking to residents of the Talas region on 3 November, Japarov said he had spent the past two to three years demanding that Gazprom fulfil its promises to bring natural gas to more parts of Kyrgyzstan.
«If you don’t do it, I’ll take it back, just like Kumtor, and do it myself,» Japarov said, recalling his warning to the Russian company.
Kumtor is one of Central Asia’s largest gold mines. Kyrgyzstan took control of it from Canadian company Centerra Gold in 2021 after years of disputes over environmental damage and financial obligations. The two sides reached a settlement in April 2022, transferring full ownership of the mine to Kyrgyzstan.
His comments came after Kurmanbek Takeev, a resident of Semetey village, asked the president to extend gas supplies to the Manas district near the border.
Japarov explained that the government could not simply order the work because the country’s gas network belonged to Gazprom.
He said the company’s agreement with Kyrgyzstan required it to provide funding to connect the entire country to natural gas, but those commitments had not been fulfilled.
However, he admitted that he could not promise gas supplies to the district while the network remained under Gazprom’s control.
Gazprom’s $1 deal with Kyrgyzstan
Gazprom bought Kyrgyzstan’s national gas operator, Kyrgyzgaz, for a symbolic $1 in 2014, under an agreement reached the previous year.
The Russian company took over the operator’s debts and agreed to invest in the country’s gas infrastructure.
The deal runs until 2039, leaving Gazprom in charge of the network for another 13 years.
By referring to Kumtor, Japarov suggested that Kyrgyzstan could seek to take back its gas infrastructure if Gazprom failed to expand supplies.
