A Qatar based organization for Gas exporting countries

Gas exporting countries meeting in Moscow agreed on a Qatar based forum. It is designed to coordinating gas policy according to the member states.

• Consumers in Europe and the United states fear this gathering would take a shape of an Opec-like organization that would have a hand on prices.
• Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned before the ministers meeting that “the era of cheap gas was over”, saying that consumers would expect higher prices.
• However Algerian oil minister Chakib Khelil pointed out the necessity to coordinate and exchange information among gas exporting countries to face up with the changes and developments occurring in the international market.
• He also put forward that the objectives of the organization is not to influence prices but rather to find and provide resources to develop gas industry and protect the interest of exporting and consuming countries.