Turkmenistan and the Republic of South Africa have been invited to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit in Russia as guest nations. This was announced by Yury Ushakov, an aide to the President of the Russian Federation.

"In addition to the forum participants and observers, we have invited two guest countries – Turkmenistan and the Republic of South Africa," RIA Novosti quotes Ushakov as saying.

The eighth summit of the heads of state and government of the GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum) member countries will take place in Moscow on October 27 at the World Trade Center. The forum’s participants control 70% of the world’s proven gas reserves, 38% of its production, 42% of global gas exports, and 47% of LNG exports. The full members of the organization are Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the UAE, and Venezuela.

The summit will be attended by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Equatorial Guinea Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed al-Menfi. Delcy Rodríguez, representing the President of Venezuela, will deliver a video address.Mozambique, an observer country to the GECF, will be represented by President Daniel Francisco Chapo. Algeria will be represented at the prime ministerial level, while other countries will send their respective ministers.

During the plenary session, which will be chaired by Vladimir Putin, the heads of delegations will discuss the role of natural gas in ensuring global energy security, as well as further strengthening cooperation to guarantee reliable supplies of this fuel to global markets.As the Kremlin has noted, the Russian leader will address various challenges facing the sector—including those of a geopolitical nature—and outline what Russia considers to be priority areas for future work. The meeting will conclude with the adoption of the Moscow Declaration of the eighth summit of the heads of state and government of the GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum) member countries.

The Kremlin has emphasized that Moscow attaches particular importance to cooperation with partners within the framework of the GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum). In the Russian view, given the current situation in the gas industry, the forum serves as a platform for a professional, depoliticized dialogue.