Starting in 2009 the national energy companies of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan will charge Russia “European-level prices” for natural gas, a major change from the old price structure. The deal will benefit central Asian countries, but the effects will be felt far beyond these four countries. In this interview, Katherine Hardin, CERA Head of Russian and Caspian Energy, discusses the factors that prompted the negotiation, as well as possible outcomes and risks.