The Secretaries General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in research and the sharing of best practices.

HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General of OPEC, and his GECF counterpart, HE Yury Sentyurin, signed the MoU in Moscow on the sidelines of Russian Energy Week. The purpose of the MoU is to establish and strengthen cooperation in order to carry out activities and share experiences, views, information and best practices in areas of mutual interest.

Areas of cooperation identified in the MoU include energy market monitoring, analysis, modelling and forecasting; energy market research studies covering the short- medium- and long-term, and their methodologies; energy market data and statistics, data and statistical operational topics (such as methodologies of data gathering, assessment and dissemination); energy initiatives and developments aimed at sustainability, along with environmental and social responsibility; and other areas and matters involving common interests and concerns.

OPEC and GECF also agree to cooperate, where possible and appropriate, on the exchange of information and data; hold expert meetings and internal bilateral workshops to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences; and cooperate on seminars, workshops, conferences and publications.

In addition, OPEC and GECF may further identify any other appropriate means to further their cooperation. The MoU follows discussions that took place earlier this year between the Secretaries General on the sidelines of the 9^th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks. The symposium took place at the International Energy Forum (IEF) Secretariat in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

At their meeting of February 27, 2019, the Secretaries General recognized the numerous areas of mutual interest to both Organizations, including the fact that they have many Member Countries in common. They emphasized their desire to continue working closely together, both at a high-level, as well as on a technical level.
Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, IR Iran, Libya, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela are members of both Organizations. OPEC Member Countries Angola and Iraq are also GECF Observers.

OPEC, based in Vienna, Austria, is an intergovernmental organization with nearly 60 years of successful experience in the coordination and unification of the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and in ensuring the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry. OPEC was created during the Baghdad Conference of 10-14 September 1960 by IR Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

GECF, with headquarters in Doha, Qatar, is an international governmental organization established with the aim to support the sovereign rights of its Member Countries over their natural gas resources and their abilities to develop, preserve and use such resources for the benefit of their peoples, through the exchange of experience, views, information and coordination in gas-related matters.