Leaders of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum will gather on Saturday in the Algerian capital to discuss stabilizing energy prices and meeting the growing demand for gas, especially since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, as well as defending gas as a clean source of energy, in the context of ongoing talks on reducing carbon emissions.
In remarks on Friday, Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines Mohamed Arkab said that the summit constitutes an important opportunity for promoting dialogue and constructive cooperation among member states.
He added that Algeria is “a leading country in the natural gas industry, investing greatly in the areas of exploration, development, processing, transportation and marketing of natural gas.”
The Algerian minister underlined that the country was also working to strengthen its position as a historical and reliable supplier of natural gas, continue to fulfill its obligations, and conduct a continuous dialogue with its partners to find appropriate solutions to confront the challenges facing the natural gas industry.
On the eve of the launch of the experts’ preparatory sessions on Thursday, Arkab said that joint cooperation between gas-producing countries will be on top of the talks of the 7th Summit of Gas Exporting Countries.
He stressed that the discussions will address “cooperation to ensure global energy security, serve the common interest through long-term commercial contracts, and enhance joint efforts in the field of investment and financing future projects.”
Sources in the Algerian government told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting would mainly discuss the increasing demand for energy and the role of gas in contributing “positively to the energy transition,” in addition to the issue of removing carbon from natural gas, by employing advanced technology to make energy cleaner, especially with regard to electricity production and industries that have large gas emissions, such as steel, cement, and chemicals.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is an international governmental organization founded in Tehran in 2001, and includes the world’s major natural gas producers. The political and economic bloc seeks to strengthen the sovereignty of its members over their natural gas resources, and to intensify cooperation and dialogue on energy-related issues.
The Forum includes 12 permanent member states (Russia, Iran, Qatar, which are the largest producers, Venezuela, Nigeria, the Emirates, Trinidad, Tobago, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Libya), and 7 members with an “observer” status (Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique and Peru).
