The Third Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) opened here today to discuss Tehran oriented pricing policies and highlight the role of this oil as "clean" and benefited from the intense bilateral contacts between the countries of the organization's energy.
Among extreme measures and the presence of numerous foreign journalists security, Iranian President Hassan Rohani, was responsible for opening the first session of the forum, with the presence of nine Heads of State and Government, including Presidents of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and Bolivia, Evo Morales.
"This meeting seeks ways to defend the collective interests of member countries and develop cooperation in areas of export, production and gas trade and coordinate policies to ensure global consumption and supply," Rohani said during his inaugural speech.
The meeting is expected to last about four hours, with a number of pauses, as reported by both the organization and some delegations serve to hold bilateral meetings between the participating countries.
In particular, they highlighted the planned meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin, with his Iranian and Venezuelan pairs, plus a possible brief meeting with the president of Bolivia.
Besides presidents and heads of government, the 19 countries that are part of the organization sent senior delegates.
Russia, Iran, Qatar, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates -members full right- and Holland, Iraq, Oman, Peru, Norway, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan - observers, are the countries that make up the GECF.
During the meeting it is expected that, in addition to analyzing the market outlook and the potential for cooperation between gas producers, a statement in which it emphasizes defending before the international community the chance that natural gas offers the world is approved as the source of fossil energy friendlier to the environment.
In addition, the forum will also seek and discuss solutions to meet the request of several of its members to achieve a gas price in world markets that is "fair" and for recovering "the price of huge investments" which requires developing this energy.
Today, the countries participating in the summit control 42% of global gas supply, 70% of its proven reserves, 40% of the supply through pipelines and 65% of the global market for liquefied natural gas . EFE