Under a two-year deal signed with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM), Uzbekistan will import 9 million cubic metres of Russian natural gas per day.
It is the first time Uzbekistan, which is a producer and exporter itself, is importing gas from Russia.
The daily volume corresponds to about 2.8 billion cubic metres a year, as gas imports will be used to cover shortages during the cold season.
"Russia confirms its status as a reliable gas supplier and is open to cooperation in this area," Russian president Vladimir Putin said during the ceremony in Moscow.
Russia's energy revenues have been squeezed by Western sanctions, such as price caps and an embargo on seaborne oil exports, following its invasion of Ukraine, and by the closure of the Nord Stream gas pipelines to Europe, which were blown up in September 2022.
