DUSHANBE (Reuters) -- Uzbekistan has halted natural gas supplies to neighboring Tajikistan due to an $18 million debt, leaving all Tajik households without gas, a source at the Tajik state gas company has said.
"Households have been switched off completely," the source said. "[Aluminium producer] TALCO and [cement maker] Tajikcement are receiving gas from local deposits."
The source said Tajikistan was in talks with Uzbekistan to renew supplies and postpone debt repayment.
The two countries are at odds over a number of issues including energy and water resources.
Uzbekistan this week also reduced gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan, another former Soviet Central Asian republic, for the same reason.
"Households have been switched off completely," the source said. "[Aluminium producer] TALCO and [cement maker] Tajikcement are receiving gas from local deposits."
The source said Tajikistan was in talks with Uzbekistan to renew supplies and postpone debt repayment.
The two countries are at odds over a number of issues including energy and water resources.
Uzbekistan this week also reduced gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan, another former Soviet Central Asian republic, for the same reason.
