Addressing the 8th Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Moscow on Tuesday, Pezeshkian said geopolitical developments had posed serious challenges to global energy security.
He described the U.S.-Israeli military attacks on Iran at two separate stages, while political negotiations were underway, as dangerous developments with far-reaching consequences for international security.
The attacks, he said, had damaged Iran's energy infrastructure and disrupted energy transmission, putting both global energy security and the world economy at risk.
Pezeshkian also condemned unilateral sanctions, describing the U.S. naval and air blockade of Iran as a form of economic terrorism. He criticized Washington's pressure on other countries to comply with the blockade, saying such measures were unlawful and posed serious risks to the stability of energy markets.
The Iranian president called on the world's major energy suppliers to condemn these actions and take effective measures to counter them.
He added that U.S. military interventions in the Persian Gulf region affected far more than regional actors, generating major shocks that disrupted energy pricing, supply and transportation while putting global economic growth at risk.
GECF urged to strengthen strategic and technical cooperation
Highlighting the forum's more than two decades of activity, Pezeshkian described the GECF as an established platform for multilateral gas diplomacy, dialogue, the exchange of experience and stronger cooperation among member countries.
He said the forum could play an effective role in addressing global energy challenges and easing supply constraints.
The Iranian president identified the development of technologies and sustainable environmental management practices, the expansion of regional and global gas markets, greater value creation across the natural gas value chain, and efforts to combat energy poverty as key areas for cooperation under the forum's charter and summit declarations.
Pezeshkian said developments in global energy markets made it necessary for member countries to deepen cooperation in two main areas: governance and strategic management, and technical and engineering operations.
At the strategic level, he said, the priority should be market stability and increasing the volume of natural gas trade at both regional and global levels.
On the technical and engineering front, he stressed the importance of joint investment across the entire gas value chain, from production and processing to transportation and consumption.
He also called for stronger technological capabilities to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of gas production and use.
Existing capacities in member countries, Pezeshkian said, should be translated into practical projects and tangible mutual benefits.
He added that effective implementation of the forum's long-term strategy, in line with market developments and long-term supply and demand projections, could help align members' priorities and strengthen the GECF's role in the future of global energy.
Iran offers to expand gas investment and cooperation
Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran's readiness to play a more active role in multilateral diplomacy, knowledge-sharing and the development of investment opportunities in gas infrastructure through the GECF.
He highlighted Iran's position as a founding member of the forum and a country with the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves.
Given its strategic location at the heart of major global energy corridors, he said, Iran had significant potential to contribute to greater global energy resilience.
The country's gas industry also offered substantial opportunities for private-sector cooperation among GECF members in upstream and downstream natural gas activities, as well as gas trade, he added.
Pezeshkian invited foreign investors to take advantage of incentives and facilities available in Iran's oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, saying they could benefit from the country's considerable potential through mutually beneficial partnerships.
Despite years of unilateral sanctions, Iran had increased its natural gas production capacity to 280 billion cubic meters by relying on domestic capabilities, he said, adding that the country had maintained its position as the world's third-largest natural gas producer.
Natural gas accounts for approximately 70 percent of Iran's energy mix, while 95 percent of the country's population is covered by the nationwide natural gas network, Pezeshkian said.
Call for secure supplies and fair valuation of natural gas
Concluding his address, the Iranian president said constructive cooperation could help ensure security of supply and demand, promote the fair valuation of natural gas and strengthen its position in the global energy mix while taking environmental considerations into account.
He emphasized the importance of active participation by the oil and energy ministers of member and observer countries, the GECF secretary-general and the forum's secretariat staff, as well as constructive cooperation among them.
Pezeshkian concluded by thanking the government and people of the Russian Federation for their warm hospitality and hosting of the summit, expressing his best wishes for the successful realization of the forum's objectives.
Hossein Amiri - H.Hakimzadeh
