President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria H E Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Doha: President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria H E Abdelmadjid Tebboune stressed that the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) has reached a remarkable level of maturity and credibility, which qualifies it to play a greater role in confronting the challenges facing the international community under the current circumstances.
In a speech at the opening session of the 6th GECF Summit, held under the theme “Natural Gas: Shaping the Energy Future,” the President said that Algeria, as a GECF founding member, has always emphasized the important role that gas has begun to play as a sustainable development factor, as it was emphasized since the first Doha Declaration of 2011.
He added that the positive role of natural gas was confirmed during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, as the world relied on this source to secure their necessary needs.
The Algerian President pointed out that the 6th Summit is being held under circumstances characterized by many challenges, including the challenges of access to energy and sustainable development, adding that GECF can play an important role in facing these challenges.
He affirmed that the ability of the international community of producers, consumers, and regulators to face these challenges together depends on the choices that will be made at the 6th Summit held today.
He added that GECF, which is a recognised intergovernmental organization, can draw attention to many of the priorities, which are represented in mobilising more actors who are convinced of the importance of natural gas to meet current and future challenges through the accession of new countries exporting and producing natural gas to enhance their roles and preserve their interests via dialogue with the consuming countries that depended on gas as an important and basic engine for the progress of their economy.
He also noted that one of the priorities is the joint search for the best ways to secure a place for natural gas in energy systems and valuing it in international markets, especially since natural gas is considered clean and accessible energy for the present and the future, as well as preferred energy to protect the environment in terms of renewable energies. Natural gas also occupies a distinguished position in international economic relations, he added. He explained that the GECF member countries possess important reserves of natural gas and secure a large share of gas production and exchange, but this energy is considered non-renewable energy, and its development requires huge investments.
Speaking about the priorities that must be focused on, he called for finding effective and innovative technological solutions to improve the quality of natural gas as clean energy to ensure its competitiveness in energy systems. For this purpose, the forum can currently benefit from the Algeria-based Gas Research Institute to face this challenge, he explained.
The Algerian President affirmed that his country believes that GECF can play a more effective role in promoting the uses of natural gas and establishing a constructive and fruitful dialogue between the various actors in the gas markets.
