MojNews-Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi attends at 7th GECF Summit in Algeria. 

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is going to take part in the 7th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit of Heads of State and Governments in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, on March 2, said Iran's Deputy Oil Minister for International Affairs and Trade Ahmad Asadzadeh on Saturday.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Raisi will deliver a speech at the summit to raise Iran’s stances on strategies and policies of GECF for safeguarding its member states’ interests, promoting their cooperation on the natural gas industry’s development and its role in providing energy security, and investing more in the sector.

The summit will open up an opportunity for GECF member states to hold constructive talks and exchange views about recent energy, particularly natural gas, developments, and future perspectives, he said.  

According to Asadzadeh, a High-Level Ad Hoc Working Group meeting and an extraordinary ministerial meeting are also scheduled to be held before the summit which will be attended by GECF member states’ oil and energy ministers, including Iran’s Oil Minister Javad Oji.

Asadzadeh pointed to important side events, saying the headquarters of GECF’s Gas Research Institute (GRI) will open during an official ceremony in Algeria, the latest edition of the GECF Global Gas Outlook will be unveiled, exemplary individuals and institutions will be awarded, and a ceremony for signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the African Energy Commission (AFREC) and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) will be also held.

GRI has a scientific-technical committee comprising the GECF member states’ representatives, which started work before the institute’s official inauguration, mentioned the deputy, adding the committee has so far studied 30 plans submitted by the member states and picked five to implement.

Among the selected plans is one of the five presented by Iran under the title “Plan for Flare Gases Management and Collection”, said Asadzadeh, adding GRI has given priority to the Iranian plan.

Given the great efforts and follow-up made by the Department for OPEC Affairs and Relations with Energy Communities to publicize Iran’s achievements amid sanctions, the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) has been selected and will receive a GECF award during the summit, he announced.

Iran will host the 8th Gas Exporting Countries Forum Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2027.