Zanganeh further reiterated that the main theme of this Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting is endorsing the draft declaration finalized by our representatives in the High Level Group; ” the two principles stipulated in the declaration of the previous Summits namely stressing the sovereign rights of the GECF countries over their energy resources, and strengthening cooperation and coordinating policies and so forth have been preserved in the current declaration as well”, he emphasized.
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President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja today for Tehran, Iran, to participate in the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum (GECF) opening on Monday.
The ministerial meeting comes in preparation for the summit of the member states of the gas forum to be held in the Iranian capital tomorrow.
Tehran has asked the 12-nation OPEC cartel of oil producers to cut its total oil production to stay within the daily quota, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said Saturday, Press TV reported.
“This is the gathering of world leaders of gas exporting countries and I am confident that deliberations and the outcome of the meeting would be of paramount importance for the gas markets”, Adeli was quoted as saying. Kazakhstan, Iraq, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman and Peru are Observer Members in the Forum. It is considering to build a large pipeline network that would connect its huge South Pars gas field with European customers.
“I sent a letter to OPEC to consider our return to the market and to manage it”, Zanganeh said.
“Immediately after lifting sanctions, it’s our right to return to the level of production we historically had”, he said, adding, “We have no other choice”.
He said earlier that Iran would increase its oil exports by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) immediately after the Western sanctions against its energy sector are lifted in early 2016. Iran’s oil production has fallen to 2.7 million bpd since then.
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Under a deal reached with six major powers in July, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for an end to economic sanctions imposed on the country in 2012 over the programme.
