Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla has represented Egypt at the ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Algeria.

The meeting was inaugurated on Saturday by Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines Mohamed Arkab. It included representatives from 12 main member states: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. It also included seven observer countries: Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru, and Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Engineer Mohamed Hamel.

During the meeting, El Molla emphasized the importance of the forum in promoting dialogue and cooperation between member states, especially in light of the growing role of natural gas in achieving the energy transition.

GECF will hold its seventh summit of heads of state and government, with the presence of leaders and representatives from member countries. It will focus on discussing frameworks of cooperation to maximize the benefits of natural gas, a clean and high-value resource, in the face of challenges in the global energy industry.

The forum, which began in 2001 and became an official international organization in 2008, aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences and information among its member states. It represents a mechanism for constructive dialogue between gas producers and consumers to improve the stability and security of supply and demand in gas markets around the world.

The forum represents a significant portion of the global gas market, with member states holding more than 70% of global gas reserves, 39% of production, and over 40% of global gas exports. Additionally, the forum represents more than half of the world’s exports of liquefied natural gas.