Kazakhstan has signaled its readiness to increase the transit of Russian natural gas to Uzbekistan, highlighting its growing role as a key energy corridor in Central Asia.

Speaking to reporters, Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister, Yerlan Akkenzhenov, said the country has the necessary infrastructure in place and is prepared to handle larger gas volumes if agreements between Russia and Uzbekistan move forward, The Caspian Post reports via TASS.

“We have this capability. Everything on the Kazakh side is ready. As far as I know, the Russian side is continuing direct negotiations with Uzbekistan. As a transit country, we are ready to ensure transportation,” Akkenzhenov said.

The minister noted that discussions are underway about potentially increasing annual gas transit volumes to as much as 11 billion cubic meters in the future.