Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Experts from the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in an international webinar on the prospects for gas production in the country.

The event was organized by the international news publication Natural Gas World with the support of the international oil service company ERIELL Group.

As Deputy Energy Minister Behzot Narmatov noted during the international webinar: "Uzbekistan is shifting its attention from the export of natural gas to creating new opportunities for domestic production of value-added products and increasing the return on gas production for the citizens of the country."

During the discussion, the Ministry of Energy presented during the discussion the reforms carried out in the energy sector of Uzbekistan, the projects being implemented in the country for a phased transition from raw materials exports to the production of products with high added value based on domestic carbon raw materials, in particular, natural gas.

It was noted that the main priorities of these reforms are to support the country’s economic growth and meet the growing demand for energy resources.

A special emphasis in the presentation of the Ministry of Energy was placed on the improvement of the business climate in the country, achieved over the past three years. This, in particular, made it possible to create favorable conditions for foreign investors in the gas industry of Uzbekistan, as well as to successfully pass the stages of formation of a market-oriented energy sector.

“Uzbekistan is in the process of reforms, moving from our old system to a completely new one for the country. We are creating a new market for services that will cover all market participants, from mining to processing and distribution, as well as end users. The main goal of these reforms is to ensure the economic growth of the country,” Narmatov said.

“At the same time, we are reducing our dependence on natural resources and improving energy efficiency in companies and households. These savings will free up an amount of energy equivalent to a new natural gas field. If we go further and use energy efficient technologies in the production of electricity, we will be able to use the same amount of gas, but produce twice as much energy,” said the Deputy Energy Minister.

During the international webinar, representatives of the ERIELL Group, the international law firm Dentons and others also spoke. The discussion was moderated by Joseph Murphy, editor-in-chief of Natural Gas World.