Third GECF summit

The summit was announced during the first meeting of the High-Level Ad Hoc Group for the 3rd Gas Summit on 20 May 2015. The group also discussed the draft summit declaration and other issues.[1]

In the days prior to the summit, Secretary-General Mohammad-Hossein Adeli was re-appointed for a second term in his role and Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh was chosen as the deputy chairman. Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed Saleh Al Sada was chosen as the chairman of the forum. Azerbaijan was also given observer status in the GECF.[2]

Full members:[2][3]

• 
   Iran
  Hassan Rouhani, President (Host)
• 
   Algeria
  Abdelmalek Sellal, Prime Minister[4]
• 
   Bolivia
  Evo Morales, President
• 
   Egypt
  Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President
• 
   Equatorial Guinea
  Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President
• 
   Libya
  Mohammed al-Dairi, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 
   Nigeria
  Muhammadu Buhari, President
• 
   Qatar
  Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry
• 
   Russia
  Vladimir Putin, President
• 
   Trinidad and Tobago
  Keith Rowley, Prime Minister
• 
   United Arab Emirates
  Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister
• 
   Venezuela
  Nicolás Maduro, President

Observer members:

• 
   Iraq
  Fuad Masum, President
• 
   Kazakhstan
  Karim Massimov, Prime Minister[5]
• 
   Netherlands
  Henk Kamp, Minister of Economic Affairs
• 
   Norway
  Tord Lien, Minister of Petroleum and Energy
• 
   Oman
  Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 
   Peru
  Marisol Espinoza, Vice President

Special Guest:

• 
   Azerbaijan
  Ilham Aliyev, President[6]
• 
   Turkmenistan
  Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, President
• 
   European Union
  Federica Mogherini, High Representative[7]
• 
   OPEC
  Abdallah Salem el-Badri, Secretary General[7]

The final communique underscored the need for stronger cooperation, including the transfer of expertise and pricing mechanisms. It also called for cooperation in the security of natural gas supplies to the global markets. It further objected to the application of extraterritorial laws, regulations and economic sanctions within the sector against the GECF member states.[5]

Leaders at the summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini. The two discussed "issues in bilateral relations, including atomic energy, oil and gas, and military-technical cooperation," according to his Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov. Putin also met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.[8] All nine member states will bilaterally meet with Rouhani as well.[3] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also met his host counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.[7]

Iran-Russia relations were strengthened by the signing of seven memorandum of understandings. Rouhani said that "there are also an abundance of projects in various economic fields which can bear fruit in joint partnership" and added that there are many projects in the fields of energy, oil, gas and electricity. He further noted agreements were made to expand cooperation against what were "threat[s] for the region and the world."[9] In a meeting with Putin, Khameini warned against the U.S. plot against West Asia via control of Syria. "This plot is a threat to all nations and countries, particularly Russia and Iran." He also hailed Russia's role in regional issues, such as the Syrian conflict and that such measures enhanced its regional and international standing, in particular that of Putin. "The Americans have always been trying to place their rivals in a position of passivity but you have foiled such a policy."[10]

Iranians Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani met with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal. After the meeting Larijani criticised Western countries for double standard policies on human rights, which he said were used to create insecurity and instability and that countries he did not name had helped non-state groups that cause insecurity in the Middle East. He further pointed to Algeria and North African states' capacities to boost economic and political cooperation with Iran and hoped that the formation of the Iran-Algeria Joint Economic Commission would improve mutual cooperation. Sellal added that called for cooperation in fighting groups such as ISIL. In particular, he said Iran can play an effective role in restoring security to the region.[4]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama, and warned of the dangers posed by groups such as Boko Haram, Daesh and al-Shabaab. "Ever-growing threats of extremism in the world are rooted in false beliefs of Takfiri groups and lack of genuine attention to financial and ideological sources nurturing these groups." He further called on Muslim and African countries to reinforce their solidarity and cooperation to battle such groups.[11]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the summit

Rouhani met Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for boosting Iran-Venezuela relations and oil producer countries need to enhance their cooperation to improve the oil market. "Iran and Venezuela share close viewpoints on political issues and regional developments;" he cited their opposition to the violation of the rights of Palestinians and the fight against non-state militant activity as well as the in Iraq and Syria and the restoration of security. He also called for GECF member states to produce clean energy and protect the environment. Maduro echoed for a further boost in relations upon the lifting of Iranian sanctions following the JCPOA.[12]

Khamenei met Iraqi President Fuad Masum and called for unity against rhetoric calling for its partition. "The people of Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Arabs, have been co-existing without a problem for centuries; but, unfortunately, certain regional countries as well as foreigners seek to exaggerate disagreements." He noted that such comments to the contrary allowed for meddling by outsiders. "Why should such a country as Iraq – a large, prosperous country with a thousand-year history – be disintegrated and divided into smaller parts, and thereby always be exposed to disagreement and confrontation?" He also said the youth had undergone an awakening and are now aware of their capabilities, in particular the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq were a manifestation of such an awakening. In turn, Masum heeded the advice, especially at a time of the ISIL insurgency.[13]