Equatorial Guinea Hosted 14Th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas
Exporting Countries Forum
Malabo Forum addresses global environmental challenges and
encourages cooperation
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea,
Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Ministers of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) came
together on November 21, 2012, in
Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, for the 14th
Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.
The GECF is an international governmental organization that
brings world's leading gas producers together to increase the level
of coordination and strengthen the collaboration among member
countries. The first GECF was held in Tehran in 2001.
Gabriel Obiang Lima, Equatorial Guinea's Minister of Mines,
Industry and Energy, and other participants from gas exporting
countries discussed developments in the global natural gas market
and the forum's efforts to promote stable supply of natural gas to
ensure the security of sustainable demand.
The forum highlighted the importance of natural gas as a green
fuel and discussed the changing nature of gas-market dynamics,
technologies, and renewable energy sources. The GECF also addressed
global environmental challenges and encouraged member countries to
cooperate with industry stakeholders to achieve the objectives of
the GECF.
Twelve member countries attended the forum. In addition to host
Equatorial Guinea, participants
were Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Iran,
Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar,
the Russian Federation,
Trinidad and Tobago and
Venezuela, while Norway, the
Netherlands and Kazakhstan
were present as observers. Equatorial
Guinea participated in the First Summit of Heads of State
and Government of Gas-Exporting Countries, held on November 15, 2011 in the city of Doha, Qatar.
The forum was held at the new conference center in Sipopo, just
outside the capital city. Sipopo has hosted events associated with
the African-South American Summit. It was the host of the
African-South America Forum in 2011, at which ministers of foreign
affairs from 65 countries came together, and it will host the
summit next year. Last year, Equatorial
Guinea hosted the African Union Summit, and this year it
hosted the 9th Leon H. Sullivan Summit. Sipopo will once
again be the center stage for international leaders when it hosts
the 7th Summit for African Caribbean and Pacific Heads
of State and Government (ACP) next month.
About Equatorial
Guinea
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (República de Guinea
Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the
continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover
the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the
last five years began contributing to the global energy supply.
Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability
and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country
hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information,
visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.
SOURCE Republic of Equatorial
Guinea