President: Energy Plays Vital Role In Global Eco-political Ties

Tehran, July 1, IRNA - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday that energy plays a significant role in economic and political relations among world countries. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Mehrabad International Airport prior to his departure to Moscow, Russia, where he is to attend the second summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) to begin later today. The summit will take place at the kremlin Palace. The GECF is an intergovernmental organization of 11 of the worldˈs leading natural gas producers made up of Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. President Ahmadinejad said coordinating policies of the GECF member states on energy prices as well as different ways of supplying energy and management will be among major topics to be discussed during the summit. Referring to the significance of the fossil energy for the world countries, the President said the supply and demand system of fossil energy has always been playing a determining role in the international relations. Ahmadinejad said he is to discuss Tehranˈs positions on the agenda at the event which is to cover a number of issues including current developments of world gas markets; the situation of the gas industry in general and in the member countries in particular; the views of the member countries over their energy and gas policies and energy and gas policies of consumers, and the current status and future of GECF. In addition, the President is to hold separate meetings with participating heads of states on the sidelines of the summit. He is also to meet a group of Iranians residing in Moscow and attend a press conference during his stay in the Russian capital. Moreover, President Ahmadinejad will attend a ceremony at the Embassy of Venezuela in Moscow to commemorate the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. The GECF members together control over 70% of the worldˈs natural gas reserves, 38% of the pipeline trade and 85% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. The three largest reserve-holders in the GECF – Russia, Iran and Qatar – together hold about 57% of global gas./end