Ehsan Taqavinejad told Shana that the 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 23, in Doha, Qatar. He noted that Qatar has hosted the meeting seven times before, most recently in 2016.

Taqavinejad said the main agenda item for this year’s meeting is coordination among member states to address global policies that challenge and restrict the growth of the gas industry and its markets. He added that participants will also discuss key organizational matters, including the election of the next GECF secretary-general and preparations for the forum’s eighth heads-of-state summit, scheduled for next year in Moscow.

Taqavinejad said Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad will lead the country’s delegation, which includes officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and members of the Iranian Parliament.

Emphasis on expanding natural gas’s role in the global energy mix

Taqavinejad noted that in recent years, investment in the gas industry has not matched the scale of reserves held by GECF member states due to various uncertainties. He said the Iranian oil minister plans to emphasize the need for stronger cooperation among member countries to enhance natural gas’s role in the global energy mix and attract more investment in the gas industries of GECF nations, including Iran.

He added that Iran’s proposal will aim to strengthen the GECF as an intergovernmental organization, in line with its current charter.

The oil minister also plans to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from both member and observer states to discuss key issues in the global gas industry, consult on the election of the next GECF secretary-general, and explore ways to raise the forum’s profile.

Taqavinejad said one of Iran’s main goals in bolstering the GECF is to secure a more active role in global energy policymaking and promote a unified response among major gas-producing nations to challenges that threaten the industry’s future. He added that expanding natural gas trade across the entire value chain among member states is vital for ensuring energy security, economic growth, and sustainable development in the years ahead.

Advancing cooperation through an intergovernmental organization

Taqavinejad emphasized that each GECF member has unique strengths and capacities, and closer cooperation under an intergovernmental framework can help advance progress in the sector.

He added that an extraordinary meeting of the GECF Executive Board will be held Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Qatar, ahead of the ministerial session. The meeting will review the agenda, resolutions, and final communiqué of the ministerial conference. Iran will be represented by Seyed Alimohammad Mousavi, deputy minister for international and commercial affairs, along with a team of experts.

Taqavinejad noted that under the GECF statute, the ministerial meeting serves as the forum’s highest decision-making body and convenes annually, in addition to any extraordinary sessions. During the meeting, ministers will discuss and decide on the secretariat’s operational matters and exchange views on global and regional gas market developments.

According to Shana, the 26th GECF Ministerial Meeting was held Dec, 2024, in Tehran.