Int'l community should prevent unilateral action such as harsh US sanctions against oil, gas industry

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Dr Raisi emphasised, "As members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, our approach to supply more natural gas to the world market is an approach with humanitarian aspects."

Speaking in the Sixth Summit of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Qatar, Ayatollah Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi congratulated Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for chairing the Sixth Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and thanked the government and people of Qatar for holding the meeting and their warm hospitality.

He said, "I also thank Mr Secretary General and his colleagues in the Secretariat of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum for their efforts and preparations for the summit".

The President stated, "I hope that with God's help, this summit will be able to further strengthen the fields and horizons of cooperation between the members to preserve and safeguard natural gas, which is their God-given national capital".

Dr Raisi pointed out, "Holding six summits of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum during the life of this emerging intergovernmental organisation, more than any other fact, is a strong sign of convergence, solidarity and determination of its members to pursue the goals of the forum, the bases of which were founded with Tehran's initiative in 2001".

Ayatollah Raisi added, "The purpose of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and its founders and members is to protect the sovereignty of countries over their natural resources, especially gas, cooperation in finding solutions to protect the collective interests of member countries, development of cooperation between countries in various fields such as exploration, production and trade of natural gas, strengthening the role of natural gas in the composition of world energy consumption and cooperation in strengthening security of supply and security of natural gas demand. Summits are also an opportunity to work together to achieve these goals".

The President emphasised, "As countries with huge reserves and gas exporters, in order to improve the security of natural gas demand, by pursuing the goals and mission of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, we can send a clear message to the world for guaranteeing sustainable energy supply in the short and long term".

Dr Raisi continued, "More than a decade after the first summit of this forum in 2011, which was held in Doha under the theme of "Natural Gas, a Response to the Challenges of Sustainable Development in the 21st Century", the world now needs collective efforts of the member states of the Forum more than ever to fulfil this theme".

Dr Raisi pointed out, "The sixth summit is the first summit after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its them, "Natural Gas: Shaping the Future of Energy," has a constructive and positive message to the society, which is the current conditions of energy markets and the difficult path of the world in the economic recovery after coronavirus, natural gas will be a contributing factor".

"As a clean, safe and richly extractable fuel, natural gas will make up a significant share of the world's energy composition for decades to come, and will maintain its economic, technical and environmental benefits in comparison with other fuels," he said.

"The growing trend of electrification in the coming decades, and the role of natural gas as the most important input to electricity generation, reinforces this perspective," said Dr Raisi.

He continued, "From this perspective, our approach as members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum to supply more natural gas to the world market is a humanitarian approach".

Parts of President's speech is as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace be upon Allah's Messenger and his progeny,

Dear brother of Mr Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,

First of all, I would like to congratulate His Excellency's presidency on the sixth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and thank the friendly government and dear nation of Qatar for holding this summit and the warmly welcoming the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General and his colleagues at the Secretariat of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum for their efforts and preparations for the Summit. I hope that with God's help, this summit will be able to further strengthen the fields and horizons of cooperation between the members to preserve and safeguard natural gas, which is their God-given national capital.

Mr President, Distinguished Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Holding six summits of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum during the life of this emerging intergovernmental organisation, more than any other fact, is a strong sign of convergence, solidarity and determination of its members to pursue the goals of the forum, the bases of which were founded with Tehran's initiative in 2001.

The purpose of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and its founders and members is to protect the sovereignty of countries over their natural resources, especially gas, cooperation in finding solutions to protect the collective interests of member countries, development of cooperation between countries in various fields such as exploration, production and trade of natural gas, strengthening the role of natural gas in the composition of world energy consumption and cooperation in strengthening security of supply and security of natural gas demand. Summits are also an opportunity to work together to achieve these goals.

As countries with huge reserves and gas exporters, in order to improve the security of natural gas demand, by pursuing the goals and mission of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, we can send a clear message to the world for guaranteeing sustainable energy supply in the short and long term.

Excellencies;

More than a decade after the first summit of this forum in 2011, which was held in Doha under the theme of "Natural Gas, a Response to the Challenges of Sustainable Development in the 21st Century", the world now needs collective efforts of the member states of the Forum more than ever to fulfil this theme.

The sixth summit is the first summit after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its them, "Natural Gas: Shaping the Future of Energy," has a constructive and positive message to the society, which is the current conditions of energy markets and the difficult path of the world in the economic recovery after coronavirus, natural gas will be a contributing factor.

As a clean, safe and richly extractable fuel, natural gas will make up a significant share of the world's energy composition for decades to come, and will maintain its economic, technical and environmental benefits in comparison with other fuels. The growing trend of electrification in the coming decades, and the role of natural gas as the most important input to electricity generation, reinforces this perspective. From this perspective, our approach as members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum to supply more natural gas to the world market is a humanitarian approach.

This doubles the status and importance of collective decisions in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, whose members together hold more than 70 percent of proven natural gas resources and 44 percent of market production. Multilateral measures such as the exchange of views, the sharing of technical knowledge, joint ventures and the exchange of experience can, while enhancing the natural gas trade, help increase community solidarity and stability, security and convergence in international relations.

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