Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Raw materials for processing at the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR's refinery that is planned to be constructed in Kyrgyzstan could be delivered through a pipeline being built by China, Kyrgyzstan Oil Traders Association's President Zhumakadyr Akeneyev told Azerbaijan's Trend news agency on Monday.

The agreement on SOCAR refinery construction in the Central Asian state was reached by the parties in January at a meeting of Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev and SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev.

"It is planned that China will build the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-China pipeline, through which the supply of oil will be carried out, including to the SOCAR refinery," Akeneyev said.

Technical issues pertaining to building the refinery remain unresolved, but should be discussed at a meeting of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan representatives, which is expected soon, according to Akeneyev.

SOCAR could build an oil refinery in Kyrgyzstan only after solving the issue of Kazakhstan's oil deliveries to the country. Kyrgyz officials have already taken substantial steps and offered Kazakhstan the shortest route of oil deliveries to China via its territory as well as started consultations on 2-3 million ton oil import possibility on swap conditions.

It is assumed that Kazakhstan will be the resource base for the refinery, however, conditions for the supply of crude oil are not known yet.

Acting Kyrgyz Economy Minister Temir Sariyev said, "China is interested in the construction of Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-China oil pipeline and a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan via the south of Kyrgyzstan."