Member Corner
Baghdad, Republic of Iraq | 9 November 2026 – H.E. Dr Philip Mshelbila, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), met with H.E. Eng. Basim Mohammed Khudhair Al-Ibadi, Minister of Oil of the Republic of Iraq, during his official visit to Iraq.
The meeting was attended by H.E. Dr Ezat Sabir Esmaeel, Deputy Minister for Gas Affairs, and Mr Mohammed Kamil Danbous Al-Dulaimi, Assistant Director General of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) and Iraq’s Representative to the GECF.
Discussions focused on Iraq's current natural gas sector dynamics, ongoing developments and emerging opportunities, including efforts to advance the development and utilization of the country's natural gas resources. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on developments in the global natural gas market and the role of natural gas in meeting future energy demand.
The meeting highlighted the growing cooperation between Iraq and the GECF, reaffirming the shared commitment to advancing knowledge exchange, capacity building and expanding technical collaboration to further support this partnership in the future.