From Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea, the V Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) began, with the participation of the Minister of the Popular Power of Petroleum, Manuel Quevedo, for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is present at the Fifth Summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries, promoting Bolivarian Peace Diplomacy and the fair distribution of our energy resources," the minister wrote on Twitter.
During the installation ceremony, the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, offered opening remarks to the Heads of State, Vice Presidents and Ministers of the nations that make up the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries. of the Popular Power of Petroleum, review VTV.
“This forum of the Gas Exporting Countries is the epicenter of the world. From Equatorial Guinea we are proud to be the hosts of this event and to promote a model of peace, freedom and development ”, he said.
He also called on the members of the forum to continue working together to guarantee economic growth and the sustainability, economic and social of nations.
For the first time, the African continent receives this meeting that brings together the main producers, whose members own 64 percent of the world's proven gas reserves, who will sign the Declaration of Malabo.
This event is organized every two years and provides an important space to debate, at the highest level, about the global state of the Natural Gas market and adopt joint strategies with the aim of maximizing the use of this natural resource to promote the development of the countries for the benefit of the peoples.
To date, four presidential summits have been held: The first Gas Summit of Heads of State and Government was held in Doha, Qatar, on November 15, 2011; the second in Moscow, Russia in 2013; the third in Tehran, Iran, in November 2015. and the most recent in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in 2017.
Final declaration of the GECF Summits
At the First GECF Summit held in Doha, Qatar, the work carried out for the design of strategies to face the real challenges of regional and global gas markets was highlighted, harmonizing long-term relationships between gas producers and consumers. with the establishment of a dialogue process.
During the Second Summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries that met in Moscow, Russian Federation, member countries unanimously affirmed to strengthen the GECF, improve coordination on a global scale to protect their interests, preserve the principles of international trade and defend the fundamental role of gas in the long term. In the framework of the Third GECF Summit held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, a message was addressed to the Climate Change Summit in Paris that same year, for the valuation of gas as clean fuel in the future. The document also condemned the imposition of unilateral sanctions on countries, and in the same way, it reflected an issue considered and promoted with emphasis by Venezuela, such as the search for consensus for the defense of gas and oil prices.
In the final declaration of the Fourth Summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, the member countries reinforced the promotion of the sovereignty of natural gas resources, the drive for stability in the gas market and the positioning of the FPEG on a global scale as a leading and reliable natural gas body.
Venezuela says it is present at the V GECF Summit, promoting the potential of Natural Gas as fuel to promote the sustainable development of its member countries for the benefit of the peoples.
