The sanctions against Russia will not affect Kazakh gas exports, Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov said.
"We have never sold our gas to Europe directly through Gazprom networks. We have always either handed it over on the Kazakh-Russian border or have exported to China through our gas pipeline. Therefore, there are no restrictions on Kazakh gas transit," Akchulakov said during Government Hour at the Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh parliament, on Monday.
Kazakhstan seeks to accommodate the domestic demand rather than export gas, he said.
"We are expecting a deficit, so we will be reducing exports to zero by 2025. Then we will think about where to take gas from in addition to domestically produced amounts to meet the local demand," he said.
The media said earlier quoting Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski that a ban on Russian gas supply might be part of the seventh package of anti-Russian sanctions considered by the European Union.
