Iran Press/ Iran news: Speaking in the Sixth Summit of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Qatar, Ebrahim Raisi congratulated Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for chairing the Sixth Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and thanked the government and people of Qatar for holding the meeting and their warm hospitality.
The sixth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) with the theme of "Energy Security in the World" officially began with the speech by the Emir of Qatar with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and presidents and representatives of member countries taking part.
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The meeting is attended by the presidents, prime ministers, and energy ministers of Iran, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and observer members including Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi also delivered his speech.
Raisi said, "I also thank Mr. Secretary General and his colleagues in the Secretariat of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum for their efforts and preparations for the summit."
The President stated, "I hope that with God's help, this summit will be able to further strengthen the fields and horizons of cooperation between the members to preserve and safeguard natural gas, which is their God-given national capital."
Raisi pointed out, "Holding six summits of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum during the life of this emerging intergovernmental organization, more than any other fact, is a strong sign of convergence, solidarity, and determination of its members to pursue the goals of the forum, the bases of which were founded with Tehran's initiative in 2001".
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Raisi added, "The purpose of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and its founders and members is to protect the sovereignty of countries over their natural resources, especially gas, cooperation in finding solutions to protect the collective interests of member countries, development of cooperation between countries in various fields such as exploration, production, and trade of natural gas, strengthening the role of natural gas in the composition of world energy consumption and cooperation in strengthening the security of supply and security of natural gas demand. Summits are also an opportunity to work together to achieve these goals".
The President emphasized, "As countries with huge reserves and gas exporters, in order to improve the security of natural gas demand, by pursuing the goals and mission of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, we can send a clear message to the world for guaranteeing sustainable energy supply in the short and long term."
Raisi continued, "More than a decade after the first summit of this forum in 2011, which was held in Doha under the theme of "Natural Gas, a Response to the Challenges of Sustainable Development in the 21st Century", the world now needs collective efforts of the member states of the Forum more than ever to fulfill this theme."
Raisi pointed out, "The sixth summit is the first summit after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its them, "Natural Gas: Shaping the Future of Energy," has a constructive and positive message to the society, which is the current conditions of energy markets and the difficult path of the world in the economic recovery after coronavirus, natural gas will be a contributing factor."
"As a clean, safe and richly extractable fuel, natural gas will make up a significant share of the world's energy composition for decades to come, and will maintain its economic, technical and environmental benefits in comparison with other fuels," he said.
"The growing trend of electrification in the coming decades, and the role of natural gas as the most important input to electricity generation, reinforces this perspective," said Raisi.
He continued, "From this perspective, our approach as members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum to supply more natural gas to the world market is a humanitarian approach."
Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF)
The idea of creating a forum as an official organization was first performed at the meeting in 2001 in Tehran, but it was legally instituted after the idea was supported by Russia. Vladimir Putin, on a visit to Qatar, the largest gas-producing country, reached an agreement with the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to coordinate activities in the gas sector.
GECF is an intergovernmental organization currently comprising 19 Member Countries of the world's leading natural gas producers: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela are members and Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates are observers.
GECF members together control over 71% of the world's natural proven gas reserves, 44% of its marketed production, 53% of the pipeline, and 57% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports across the globe. It is headquartered in Doha, Qatar.
