Officially: East Med. Gas Forum comes into effect

East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) state members announced on Tuesday that the forum officially came into effect, starting from March 1.

This came during the fourth ministerial meeting between the founding members, according to an official statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

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The ministers celebrated holding the first meeting after the EMGF came officially into force as an international organization asserting the importance of establishing a professional platform for gas-related issues.

They highlighted that the forum looks forward to developing a sustainable international gas market to increase using gas resources in the East Mediterranean accordingly to international law.

Egypt will take the responsibility of chairing the forum until the end of 2021. The first edition of the EMGF will start in January 2022, in addition, Cyprus will be the president of the first edition.

The Egyptian Osama Mobarez was appointed as acting secretary-general of the organization.

During the meeting, the activities of the organization were reviewed including launching two initiatives: gas decarbonization and liquified natural gas as a fuel for ships in accordance with the current international ecological tendencies.

Moreover, teams of experts will be formed to set up the forum's strategies, in addition, several groups will be dedicated to the newly-launched initiatives.

During the meeting, the member states adopted the work program of the organization including the initiatives, activities, workshops, and studies.

Regarding the submitted requests by states willing to join the EMGF, the members welcomed France as a member state and the US as an observer.

The ministers agreed upon selecting Cairo to host the upcoming ministerial meeting in the final quarter of 2021.

Finally, they expressed their appreciation to President Abdel Fattah Sisi for supporting the forum in addition they greeted the Egyptian minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla for his successful administrational period.