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     only 50%. Daily August LNG imports may be less than in 2021. As for the supply of Russian gas, it continues. According to The GTS Operator of Ukraine, the latest requests from Gazprom for transportation amount to 42.4 million cubic meters daily. This is the maximum technically possible throughput, considering all restrictions introduced by the Ukrainian side.
Russian pipeline gas supplies to China reached a value of $4.46bn in the period from January to August, marking an impressive y/y increase of approximately 86.4%, as reported by the General Administration of Customs of China. However, specific information regarding the physical volumes of imported pipeline gas was not disclosed.
Turkmenistan continues to hold the top position among Beijing's key suppliers of pipeline natural gas, with total deliveries amounting to $6.63bn during this period, reflecting a 5% increase. Russia follows closely in second place, while Myanmar experienced a significant growth of 16.2% to reach $993.94mn. Kazakhstan, on the other hand, saw a slight decline of 2.3% to $782.91mn, and Uzbekistan faced a more significant drop of 40% to $370.57mn.
In August, Russian pipeline gas supplies to China amounted to $519.32mn in terms of monetary value, representing a 6.5% decrease compared to the previous month.
Official data indicates that in 2022, Russia's pipeline gas supplies to China saw a substantial increase, soaring by 2.63-fold in value terms to reach $3.98bn.
Turkey's energy minister has publicly questioned for the first time the need for a new natural gas hub that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed last year. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told a group of reporters on Thursday that Turkey already had a well-functioning gas trading platform. Putin first raised the idea of creating "a gas hub in Turkey for supplies to other countries" during talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Kazakhstan last October. Erdogan then instructed his government to start immediate preparations for "an international distribution center" in Turkey. The idea created immediate alarm in the EU due to its ongoing attempts to end its dependence on Russian energy in response to Putin's war on Ukraine.
Putin discussed an agreement on the gas hub in Turkey and put forward the conditions for renewing the grain agreement. Russia is close to a deal with Turkey that will create a natural gas trading center, Putin said in Sochi during talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Putin, the gas hub in Turkey "will make the energy situation in the region more stable." In turn, Erdoğan saidincreasing trade between the two countries is crucial. Trade volumes are currently at $62B, and the parties plan to increase this figure to $100B annually. At the beginning of the meeting, Putin stated that he was open to discussing the restoration of the grain agreement. Erdogan
 114 RUSSIA Country Report October 2023 www.intellinews.com
 


























































































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