Minister of State for Energy Affairs, H E Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi; Minister of Oil and Gas in the Government of National Unity of Libya, President of 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting, H E Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadiq; and GECF Secretary General Eng. Mohamed Hamel during the meeting, yesterday.
DOHA: The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) underscored the pivotal role of natural gas as a clean, reliable, and flexible energy source in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in eradicating energy poverty and supporting inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.
On the sidelines of the 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting a press conference was held in which Minister of State for Energy Affairs, H E Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi; Minister of Oil and Gas in the Government of National Unity of Libya, President of the 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting, H E Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadiq; and GECF Secretary General Eng. Mohamed Hamel participated.
A communique was issued during the press conference which expressed its full solidarity with Qatar following the recent attack on September 9, 2025 on its territory, strongly condemned all acts of aggression that undermine the sovereignty, security, and stability of all Member Countries, and reaffirmed unwavering support for Qatar’s right to safeguard its people, infrastructure, and national interests.
GECF reaffirmed the permanent sovereign rights of its member states to manage, develop, and utilize their natural gas resources sustainably for the benefit of their people.
The forum emphasised the need for collective efforts to enhance energy security, stability, and sustainability.
The communique called for mobilizing sustainable financing sources to support gas infrastructure development, particularly in developing countries, and encouraged effective cooperation with international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, and private sector partners to facilitate infrastructure financing.
The statement expressed deep concern over the potential imposition of unilateral restrictive measures with extraterritorial impact, particularly the EU Methane Emissions Regulation (EU MER), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD), and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM), which often conflict with the principles and requirements of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, and the World Trade Organization.
It welcomed the establishment of the GECF Ad Hoc Working Group on the EU MER, EU CSDDD and EU CBAM and reaffirmed the importance of multilateralism and cooperation to achieve the SDGs and address climate change in an orderly, just and inclusive manner, leaving no one behind.
The communique of the 27th Ministerial Meeting of the GECF commended Member Countries for their efforts in reducing methane emissions and routine gas flaring within the framework of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in light of their national circumstances and capabilities. It supported the deployment of advanced technologies, especially carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS).
The statement also recognised the growing importance of digital technologies in enhancing operational efficiency, transparency, and safety across the natural gas value chain, and encouraged Member Countries to invest in data analytics, AI-driven tools, and smart infrastructure to optimise resource management.
It congratulated Dr Philip Mshelbila as the newly appointed Secretary General of the GECF and expressed support for his successful tenure and welcomed the proposal to convene the 8th GECF Summit of Heads of State and Government and the 28th GECF Ministerial Meeting in 2026 in Moscow, the Russian Federation.
GECF Global Gas Outlook 2050 projects a 32% growth in natural gas demand by 2050 and an increase of its share in the world’s primary energy mix from 23 percent to 26 percent.
