ASTANA. January 22. KAZINFORM /Muratbek Makulbekov/ Associated gas must belong to the state; President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has stated today at the session in Akorda.

"Why should associated gas belong to oil producing company? There is no such point in the contract. As is known, this issue was settled in Azerbaijan. This is the property of the state - it (gas) costs nothing. The owner spends nothing for its extraction", - N. Nazarbayev said.

He charged the Government to work over this issue especially by concluding new contracts.