Gas Exporting Countries Forum meeting in Tehran coincides with sensitive Middle East conditions

According to Energy Press, Tehran has demonstrated its readiness to cooperate with all member countries of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in recent days by hosting the fourth meeting of oil and energy ministers. Although Iran has developed these interactions by relying on its huge oil and gas reserves, it should be noted that our country’s geographical location is such that it can be used as the most desirable gas transmission corridor to the East and West. This geographical location allows Iran to enter into cases such as gas swaps, combined gas trade, homonymous and non-homonymous bartering, etc., in addition to importing and exporting gas. Therefore, paying attention to the development of energy diplomacy with other gas exporting countries can help increase Iran’s role in gas trade.
The first step in the field of diplomacy
The holding of the 26th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Tehran can be considered the first achievement of the energy diplomacy of the Ministry of Oil of the 14th government; The rising tension between our country and the usurping Zionist regime on the one hand, and international developments in the world, especially in the Middle East, had previously caused this meeting to be shrouded in uncertainty. However, the Ministry of Oil was able to properly manage these conditions and cooperate with institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to host the members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum well. This worthy hosting did not go unnoticed by the members of the Forum, especially the Secretary General.
Mohsen Paknejad, the Minister of Oil of our country, despite having buried his brother the day before the ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and mourning his brother, attended this meeting and, as a hospitable custom, while welcoming his guests and counterparts, discussed and exchanged views with them, showing that Iranians are good hosts in any situation. On the sidelines of this meeting, he emphasized: The presence of GECF ministers in the current situation shows Iran’s stability, stability, and high security.
The holding of this summit at this critical international juncture did not escape the attention of foreign media, as media outlets such as Great Kashmir, Manaf-e-N, Sputnik Persian, Al-Mayadeen English, Al-Jazeera 24, Egypt Oil & Gas, Gulf Times, etc. specifically covered this international gas event. This was while the fall of the Syrian government was also in the headlines on the same day in the international arena, but the importance of holding this summit in Tehran, in addition to the energy market, conveyed an important political message to the world: “Despite all the unrest in the region, Iran is a safe haven that can be a suitable platform for important economic and political decisions.”
The Ministry of Oil clearly demonstrated in this meeting its serious determination to develop its relations in the gas trade in the region and then globally. The meeting also ended with Iran repeatedly emphasizing its readiness to share and export scientific and operational achievements in the field of gas with the members of this forum. The holding of the 26th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Tehran during the life of this fledgling intergovernmental organization is, more than any other fact, a strong sign of the convergence of solidarity and the determination of its members to pursue the goals of the forum, the initial foundations of which were laid in Tehran in 2001. Geopolitical and regional developments in recent years have shown that natural gas and its international trade continue to be a vital factor in the energy security of human societies around the world. Despite the steps taken to achieve geopolitical and environmental goals and liberalize energy markets, wherever countries’ energy security faces serious risks, energy policies prioritize ensuring their country’s energy security over other goals.