The 28th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) will be held on Monday, October 25, 2026, in Moscow. This meeting will be attended by Hamid Bord, the caretaker of the Ministry of Oil of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a delegation consisting of senior oil industry officials, including Saeed Tavakoli, the CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, and Seyed Ali-Mohammad Mousavi, the Deputy for International Affairs and Trade of the Ministry of Oil.
Importance of the Ministerial Meeting for the Islamic Republic of Iran
Ehsan Taqva-Najad, the Director General of OPEC Affairs, Assemblies, and International Organizations at the Ministry of Oil, explained the importance of this meeting, stating that this event is an opportunity to present the Islamic Republic of Iran's views on geopolitical developments, the future outlook of the natural gas market, and the expansion of cooperation within the framework of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. He emphasized that this meeting will focus on reviewing the strategies and policies of the forum to safeguard the collective interests of its members and strengthen cooperation in the natural gas industry.
Program of Bilateral Meetings and Major Decisions
Taqva-Najad mentioned the program of bilateral meetings for the caretaker of the Ministry of Oil on the sidelines of this meeting, stating: "Meeting with the Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and discussions with several ministers from member countries, including the Minister of Energy of Russia, are part of this trip's agenda." He also noted that during this meeting, the documents and agendas for the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, including the summit statement, will be reviewed and finalized.
The eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum will also be held on November 1, 2026, in Moscow, and at the end of this meeting, a joint statement regarding the strategies and major policies of the forum in the field of international energy cooperation will be published.
Preliminary Meetings and the Forum's Capabilities
Taqva-Najad further discussed the preliminary meetings of this event, stating that on November 2, an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee and the fourth meeting of the high-level delegation for the eighth summit will be held with the presence of officials and experts from member countries, the Secretary General of the forum, and managers and experts from the secretariat. Reviewing and organizing the agendas for the ministerial and summit meetings will be the main focus of these meetings.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum, as one of the intergovernmental frameworks for dialogue and coordination among natural gas producing and exporting countries, has 12 main members including Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Observer countries including Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Senegal also participate in this forum.
According to announced statistics, member countries collectively hold about 70% of the world's proven natural gas reserves, 38% of commercial gas production, and 42% of global gas exports. Additionally, their share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is estimated to be around 47%.
