DOHA (Sputnik) – The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) intends to focus on its relations with African gas producers, in particular with Angola, Mozambique and Cameroon, Yury Sentyurin, the GECF secretary general, told Sputnik.
“Any organization is interested in increasing the number of its members… We are carrying out such work, it is very thorough, multidimensional, it is a series of meetings and consultations. Since I assumed the office of secretary general, I have examined on [what countries] we should focus our attention, [with what states] we have common topics. We have 16 states of that kind, we have the greatest expectations with regard to Angola, Mozambique and Cameroon,” Sentyurin said, adding at the same time that the GECF had no membership applications for consideration at the moment.
The secretary general explained that not all gas producers but only net exporters of natural gas had the right to become members of the organization.
“We have carried out a research, there are currently 37 net exporters of gas, 19 of them are somehow connected to the GECF, 12 of them are [the organization’s] full members and seven others have observer status, the remaining 16 we consider as a ‘potential gang,’ which might become our partners,” Sentyurin explained.
The GECF, which was founded in 2001, includes Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman and Peru have the status of observer members.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
