Iran used the 28th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Moscow to call for a strategic reset, arguing that energy security cannot be separated from regional stability, infrastructure protection and respect for national sovereignty. Acting Oil Minister Hamid Bovard told members that US military interventions, including in the Persian Gulf, and unilateral sanctions have undermined trust, investment security and the predictability of global energy markets.
Speaking as the GECF marked its 25th anniversary, Bovard said the Forum—founded in Tehran in 2001—must preserve its principles while reconfiguring priorities and cooperation mechanisms. He proposed that the Secretariat study a roadmap to lift natural gas’s share of the global energy mix to 30 percent. The GECF’s outlook projects demand rising 31 percent by 2055 to more than 5,400 billion cubic meters, with gas’s share climbing from about 23 percent to 26 percent.
Bovard warned that reserves alone do not guarantee supply security. Timely investment, technology access, infrastructure and sustained demand are what turn resources into energy security. Meeting global needs through 2055 will require more than $12 trillion in upstream and midstream investment, he said, making stable and predictable financing essential.
He outlined three cooperation areas: joint financing mechanisms, technological and knowledge-sharing projects across the gas value chain, and structured producer-consumer dialogue to reduce investment risk and balance interests. He also urged a coordinated response to climate measures such as the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, which could impose unbalanced trade restrictions.
Despite decades of sanctions, Iran produces about 300 billion cubic meters of gas annually, with gas supplying roughly 70 percent of its energy mix and its network covering 95 percent of the population. Bovard said Iran is ready to share its experience and help strengthen GECF members’ capabilities.
