AKIPRESS.COM - Uzbekistan produced 25.145 billion cubic metres of natural gas in January-June, a 17.1% decrease year-on-year, the state statistics committee said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Gas is one of Uzbekistan’s main exports, but it has faced a drop in demand from buyers China and Russia due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Decreased exports to China have affected some foreign companies’ operations in Uzbekistan, including Russia’s Lukoil.

Uzbekistan’s industrial output fell 1.9% in the first half of this year, the statistics committee said.