Egypt will host the 24th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) on Sunday under the chairmanship of Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla.
El-Molla explained that the three-day meeting comes amid a global dialogue about energy security and just weeks ahead of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) set to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh from November 6 t0 18, according to a statement from the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
Sunday’s event, El-Molla added, is an opportunity to improve cooperation among the member states that have gas reserves, production and exports, and to ensure work is done in an environmentally responsible manner.
The GECF comprises 11 member states: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
It also includes eight observers: Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mozambique, Norway, Peru and the UAE.
Together, these states are home to 72 percent of the global proven natural gas reserves, 55 percent of exports by pipeline and 50 percent of LNG exports.
El-Molla stressed Egypt's keenness on establishing a constructive global dialogue among member states focusing on the key role of natural gas in the transition from fossil-based energy to zero-carbon energy.
The GECF ministerial meeting, which is the supreme governing body of the forum, meets once a year.
