In his opening address, Hamel expressed his condolences to His Excellency Mohsen Paknejad, Minister of Petroleum of Iran and President of the GECF Ministerial Meeting, for the recent passing of Paknejad’s brother.

He also extended his condolences to the government and people of Iran following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Hamel thanked Paknejad and his team for their hospitality and praised the participation of delegates, emphasizing the importance of their role in the success of the GECF.

He also welcomed newly appointed and reappointed ministers from Algeria, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Russia, and Venezuela, as well as representatives from Observer Countries Mauritania, Peru, and Senegal.

The Secretary General reflected on the GECF’s origins in Tehran in 2001, where the organization was founded as a global platform for natural gas cooperation.

He drew on the words of Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi, saying, “Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop... stay rooted in the ground, yet let your branches dance in the wind.”

Hamel noted the remarkable growth in global natural gas demand, which has surged by 70% since the GECF’s creation.

He added that natural gas consumption reached record levels in 2023 and is expected to increase by 34% by 2050.

“The importance of natural gas as a clean, reliable, and flexible energy source has never been more evident,” he said, reiterating the GECF’s mission to promote natural gas as a key element in sustainable development, energy, and food security.

In conclusion, Hamel expressed his gratitude to the GECF governing bodies for their support and offered best wishes for a successful Ministerial Meeting.