The Deputy President of Iran, Shariat Madri, received President Buhari at the Mehrabad worldwide Airport.
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Iran hosted the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Monday, in preparation for the lifting of Western sanctions next year under the terms of a nuclear deal reached in July.
“Iranian government has announced its support to worldwide investment in the oil and natural gas area”, said Hassan Rouhani, Iranian president.
Asked about Iran’s plan to export gas to Europe, he said that “Iran’s gas exports to European countries need time”. “Moscow is a strategic partner of Iran”, the Iranian minister was quoted by IRNA news agency.
Topics covered during the 2015 GEFC summit will include the current gas market as well as methods to increase gas production.
The GECF consists of 17 main and observer members with its permanent secretariat in Doha, Qatar.
Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela are the forum’s main members.
The president also decried that the dwindling oil prices which he said has affected the income of the Country but expressed hope that the nation’s proven gas reserve base now put at 188 Trillion Cubic Feet could actually be in excess of 600 Trillion Cubit Feet when developed, stressing that Nigeria remained the hub for natural gas supply in West African sub region with the construction of 681 kilometer West African Gas Pipiline which now transmits gas from the country to neighboring countries of Benin, Togo and Ghana.
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“12 member states and 6 observer states participated in this Summit and it was decided that the Republic of Azerbaijan be added to the observer states”, Rouhani reiterated. This 3rd Gas Summit will be attended by the Heads of State and Government of GECF Member Countries as well as worldwide organizations.
