Equatorial Guinea Set to be Hosts of the GECF in 2023

Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, has been selected as the hosts for the next Ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) an act which indicates at the same time that the Presidency of this body will rest within Equatorial Guinea during the year 2023.

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The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) was founded in 2001 with the mission of supporting the sovereign rights of its member countries over their natural gas resources, and their ability to independently plan and manage the development, use and sustainability, efficient and environmentally conscious conservation of natural gas resources for the benefit of their people.

Currently, this body is made up of Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Qatar and Venezuela. While Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Norway, Peru, and the UAE are observer countries, and Senegal, Mozambique, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea will participate in the summit as guest countries.

The Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima who represented the country at the GCEF met with the Nigerian representative, Hon. Timipre Sylva, as they sat down to address and discuss the cooperation established between the two countries in the oil and gas sector.

During the course of this meeting, it was learned that Equatorial Guinea will participate in the next edition of the “Nigeria International Energy Summit” Conference, which is scheduled to be held from February 28 to March 3, in the city of Abuja.

They also spent time talking about the new initiative called the Technical Strategic Alliance, (TSA), which aims to exchange technical knowledge in the hydrocarbons sector, with countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.

Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima also met with a delegation from Venezuela, led by Félix Plasencia, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The purpose of the meet was to outline aspects affected by the Confidentiality Agreement recently signed for cooperation in the field of Oil and Gas.