The eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) commenced today (Tuesday, November 5) in Moscow. This summit aims to strengthen cooperation among natural gas producing and exporting countries and to review developments in gas markets, supply and demand outlook, and energy security.
Presence of Iranian Officials at the Summit
Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, is leading a delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran at this summit. Hamid Bourd, the caretaker of the Ministry of Oil, is also accompanying the President on this trip, and Iran's positions and proposals for enhancing cooperation among gas-exporting countries are expected to be presented at this summit. According to reports, Iran's key points include preserving and protecting energy infrastructure in times of war and crisis, developing gas exchanges, and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
Previous Summits and the Importance of the Forum
The twenty-eighth ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) was also held on Monday (November 4) in Moscow. At the ministerial meeting, representatives of member countries discussed issues related to gas cooperation and developments in energy markets. The summit of the heads of member countries of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum is held every two years. The first summit of this forum was held in 2011 in Doha, Qatar, followed by Moscow in 2013, Tehran in 2015, Santa Cruz, Bolivia in 2017, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in 2019, Doha in 2022, and Algiers in 2024 hosting the subsequent sessions of this summit.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum has 12 main members, and the member countries collectively hold about 70% of the world's proven natural gas reserves, 38% of commercial gas production, and 42% of the world's gas exports. The share of these countries in liquefied natural gas exports is also estimated to be about 47%. Since its establishment, this forum has held 27 meetings at the ministerial level.
