MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia's state energy giant Gazprom is planning to invest up to 100 billion rubles (approximately $1.7 billion) in Kyrgyzstan and ensure that 60 percent of the country's territory is covered by the gas network, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Gazprom has massive plans for energy development… Gazprom intends to invest up to 100 billion rubles in the coming years," Putin said in an interview with a Kyrgyz journalist, aired by the Russian broadcaster RenTV on Saturday.
According to the Russian President, it might be possible to do "what was agreed with Kyrgyz President [Almazbek Atambayev]," ensuring that the gas network covers 60 percent of the country.
The interview was recorded following a meeting between Putin and Atambayev in Sochi on Thursday. Kyrgyzstan, a nation of approximately six million people, became the fifth country to join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, in August, 2015.