Hamid Bourd, the head of the Ministry of Oil, left for Moscow on Sunday to attend the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). This summit is held to exchange views on developments in gas markets, the outlook for supply and demand, and energy security.
Key Topics of the Summit
Bourd announced that during this trip, in addition to stating Iran's positions, bilateral meetings with relevant ministers will be held. He emphasized that the issue of maintaining infrastructure during wars and pursuing gas exchanges among member countries will be among the main topics of negotiations. Additionally, Bourd stressed the need to create a common market and adopt uniform policies in the field of gas exports.
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Relations with Russia and Gas Cooperation
Hamid Bourd spoke about relations with Russian companies, stating: "We have good relations with the officials of Russian companies and have signed contracts for the development of oil fields with them. We are also in discussions about gas exchanges." This statement reflects the importance of international cooperation in the energy sector.
The ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, which takes place a day before the summit, includes reviewing and finalizing key documents, including the final statement of the summit. This forum is one of the intergovernmental frameworks for dialogue and coordination among natural gas producing and exporting countries.
History and Importance of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum holds its meetings every two years. The first meeting was held in 2011 in Doha, Qatar, and since then, various countries have been selected as hosts for these meetings. Currently, the forum 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 include Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Senegal.
According to statistics, member countries of the forum hold about 70% of the world's proven natural gas reserves and 38% of commercial gas production. Additionally, their share of liquefied natural gas exports is estimated to be around 47%. These statistics indicate the significant impact of this forum on the global energy and natural gas market.
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