Russia to start piping gas to Uzbekistan on Saturday: Putin

President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian company Gazprom would begin sending gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan on Saturday, a first for the gas-producing Central Asian nation. The announcement came after bilateral talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who called the news a "real result for our future prospects". Both presidents are scheduled to attend the gas transit's launch on Saturday via video conference.