The Second Gas Summit of The Heads of State and Government of GECF Member Countries
July 1st, 2013. Kremlin Palace, Moscow, the Russian Federation
Natural Gas: The answer to the 21st century sustainable development challenges

We, the Heads of State and Government of the GECF Countries gathered at the Second Gas Summit in Moscow, the Russian Federation on July 1st, 2013 in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation:

(i) Reaffirming the absolute and permanent sovereignty of GECF countries over their natural resources and determination to build upon the principles and provisions of the Doha Declaration;

(ii) Acknowledging the growing significance of natural gas as an environmentally friendly energy source and feedstock for the long-term sustainable development of the world economy;

(iii) Noting that the GECF Countries have the major share of the world’s gas reserves and are reliable and secure long-term exporters of this resource;

(iv) Being convinced that there is a great potential for further contribution of the GECF Countries  to  the global  economic development;

(v) Being committed to the principles of international trade in gas;

(vi) Being concerned that certain unilaterally implemented measures by some consuming countries would adversely affect gas market stability;

(vii) Underlining the importance of market stability to ensure sufficient investment in new gas projects;

(viii) Emphasizing the importance of equitable risk sharing among all gas market players to ensure the security of gas supply and demand;

Declare our common determination to:

1. Strengthen GECF as a platform for defining and advancing the Member Countries’ position on challenges and issues of international gas markets;

2. Enhance the global-scale coordination of actions to protect the interests of the Gas Exporting Countries in all areas including interactions with regulatory authorities of gas consuming countries;

3.  Preserve and enhance principles of international gas trade including risk sharing mechanisms which have proven to be effective and have allowed for the continued development of natural gas worldwide;

4. Uphold the fundamental role of long-term gas supply contracts in financing large-scale gas projects along the value chain and in providing mutually acceptable solutions for security of demand and  supply;

5. Continue to support gas pricing based on oil/ oil products indexation to ensure fair prices and stable development of natural gas resources;

6. Foster the consistent growth of natural gas usage as an abundant non-renewable source of energy to increase its share in the world primary energy mix;

7. Promote the expansion of natural gas utilization in different forms including motor fuel and feedstock;

8. Encourage GECF dialogue with all gas market players and stakeholders to promote gas as a driver for environmentally friendly economic growth and social development.

The Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum extend their appreciation to His Excellency Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation for his leadership of the Second GECF Gas Summit and the Government and People of the Russian Federation for their warm hospitality.