Member Corner
Tashkent, Uzbekistan | 12 May 2026 — H.E. Dr Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), participated in the Opening Ceremony and Plenary Session of the Uzbekistan Energy Forum 2026, held under the theme “Integration of Efforts for Sustainable Regional Energy Architecture.” The high-level session brought together ministers, senior officials, and international energy leaders to discuss the importance of regional cooperation in advancing energy security, infrastructure connectivity, sustainable investment, and next-generation energy systems. The session was led by H.E. Jamshid Khodjaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, and featured the participation of H.E. Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan; H.E. Denis Moroz, Minister of Energy of Belarus; H.E. Orkhan Zeynalov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan; H.E. Ilyas Bakytzhan, Vice-Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan; alongside senior representatives from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Energy Charter Secretariat, AMEA Power, and China Energy Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. In his intervention, H.E. Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, highlighted the strategic importance of diversified and flexible energy resources, cross-border and transit energy networks, smart grids, storage solutions and the integration of renewable energy sources with dispatchable natural gas to support resilient and sustainable economic growth. He further underscored the importance of international energy cooperation, stable long-term investments, realistic and balanced energy transitions, and the irreplaceable role of natural gas in supporting global energy security and market stability. H.E. the Secretary General also discussed the energy transformation trajectory of Uzbekistan and invited the leadership to further expand cooperation with the GECF in support of the country’s long-term energy aspirations.