Tajikistan Seeks New Fuel Sources

Amid restrictions on fuel imports from Russia and an unstable global market, Tajikistan is striving to find new sources for fuel supply. In this context, Tajik authorities have discussed increasing fuel imports with Kazakhstan, China, and other regional countries.

On July 29, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana to discuss boosting the export of petroleum products from Kazakhstan to the Tajik market.

According to the press service of the President of Tajikistan, “given the current situation in the global and regional energy markets,” the two leaders considered “issues related to further increasing the supply of Kazakh petroleum products to the Tajik market,” as well as enhancing cooperation in tourism, sports, and other areas of mutual interest.

Additionally, on July 29, Tajikistan’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Daler Juma, met with the Chinese ambassador in Dushanbe, Go Zhijun, to discuss the import of petroleum products from China. The ministry reported that the meeting focused on the issue of fuel imports from China, although details of the negotiations and the Chinese side’s position have not yet been published.

The issue of ensuring fuel supplies for Tajikistan was also addressed during a government meeting on July 28, highlighting that securing the domestic fuel market has become one of the pressing issues on the government’s agenda.

Earlier, Daler Juma stated that the existing reserves of petroleum products would last for at least two months, and possibly longer.

Dushanbe’s attempts to find alternative fuel supply markets come against the backdrop of Russia’s restrictions on gasoline exports due to Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refining facilities within the country. Russian authorities intend to maintain these restrictions until the end of the current year.

It is important to note that over 90% of petroleum products in Tajikistan are supplied from Russia. Following Russia’s export restrictions on petroleum products in July of this year, some gas stations in Dushanbe temporarily experienced a shortage of diesel fuel. Several stations implemented limits, allowing no more than 20 liters of fuel to be sold per vehicle. The price per liter of fuel reached 17-18 somoni.