Addressing the 8th GECF Summit in Moscow on Tuesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said geopolitical developments and unilateral measures have seriously threatened global energy security and market stability.

He also condemned the US and Israeli military aggression against Iran, saying attacks on the country’s energy facilities and disruptions to energy transfers have endangered global energy security and economic growth.

He then criticized US sanctions and a naval and air blockade against Iran, calling on major energy suppliers to condemn and counter such measures.

The president described the GECF as an important platform for multilateral gas diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation, emphasizing the need to implement its charter and summit declarations by developing technologies, expanding regional and global gas markets, maximizing the value of natural gas resources, and combating energy poverty.

Pezeshkian said member states should strengthen cooperation in strategic management and technical operations, particularly to stabilize markets, increase gas trade, and develop joint investments across the value chain, from production and processing to transportation and consumption. He also highlighted the importance of improving technological capabilities to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.

Describing Iran as a founding member of the GECF and the country with the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves, Pezeshkian said the country is ready to expand multilateral diplomacy, knowledge-sharing, and investment in gas infrastructure. He also invited foreign investors to take advantage of opportunities in Iran’s upstream and downstream gas industries and gas trade.

The president noted that despite years of unilateral sanctions, Iran has raised its natural gas production capacity to 300 billion cubic meters annually and maintained its position as the world's third-largest gas producer. He added that natural gas accounts for 70 percent of Iran's energy mix and that 95 percent of the population is covered by the national gas network.

Pezeshkian concluded by stressing that constructive cooperation among member and observer countries could help ensure secure energy supplies, fair gas pricing, and a stronger role for natural gas in the global energy mix while taking environmental concerns into account.