UPDATE: Uztransgaz denies preparing pipelines for Russian gas imports

(Rewrites story)

TASHKENT, Mar 3 (PRIME) – Uzbekistan is doing assembly works on its pipelines to increase effectiveness of supplies in the south of the country, not to prepare for the gas imports from Russia, Uztransgaz said in a statement on Friday.

"We notify that a statement published on the webpage of Uztransgaz on March 3… contained incorrect information. Assembly works on the national and trunk pipelines is not connected with imports of gas from Russia," the company said.

Russia's Gazprom signed a roadmap for cooperation with the Energy Ministry of Uzbekistan in January. Uzbekistan's media reported that Russian gas supplies could start in March. A representative for the Energy Ministry of the republic told PRIME that the negotiations on cooperation continued but there were no plans to start imports in March.

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