Member Corner
Cairo, Egypt | 31 March 2026 — EGYPES2026. The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) participated, upon the kind invitation of H.E. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in high-level roundtables, including “Molecules, Trade Routes, and Strategic Influence in the New Energy Economy” and “Gas & LNG as a Strategic Lever – East Med, North Africa and Europe in a Fragmented Energy System,” convened as part of EGYPES 2026 in Cairo.
HE Dr Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the GECF, emphasized that strengthening regional cooperation and optimizing existing infrastructure are essential to ensuring reliable and diversified energy flows at both regional and global levels, underscoring that “cooperation, not fragmentation,” remains key to navigating current energy challenges and sustaining a resilient global energy system.
HE the Secretary General noted Egypt’s unique geographical position at the crossroads of Africa, Middle East, and Europe, underscoring its role as a longstanding and enduring channel in facilitating regional and global energy flows, as well as its historic contribution to global energy transit through the Suez Canal.
He further highlighted Egypt’s remarkable natural gas infrastructure, including the Idku LNG Terminal and Damietta LNG Terminal, which reinforce the country’s sustained contribution to regional and global energy connectivity, and commended Egypt’s aspiration to become the energy hub for 3 continents. HE further highlighted that aligning policies, enhancing cross-border connectivity, and fostering predictable regulatory frameworks are key to unlocking investment, supporting infrastructure growth, and enabling more integrated and resilient gas markets. In this context, the interlinkages between regional markets and the need for flexible, cooperative approaches across the value chain were emphasized as critical to sustaining long-term energy security. The Secretary General stressed that in a rapidly evolving energy environment, reliability and affordability must remain at the core of energy strategies, particularly as countries pursue orderly energy transitions aligned with their national circumstances and development priorities.