_The GECF meetings bring in major actors in the gas market to Tehran. They include Russia and Norway – the first and second natural gas exporters of the world by pipelines – Qatar as the largest LNG exporter, and Iran as the largest holder of natural gas resources despite a low share in the gas trade.

_Convention of the gas summit in Tehran indicates a considerable success in the field of energy diplomacy. About two years ago, the GECF ministerial meeting was held in Tehran in which President Hassan Rouhani scored his first achievement in the field of energy, namely, election of Iran’s candidate as the forum’s secretary general. The third summit is the newest in a series of accomplishments in hosting international energy meetings.

_Seven member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are attending at Tehran meetings of GECF and have more or less similar stands regarding the international crude oil market, with an exception of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which holds close views to Saudi Arabia. Tehran meetings will be an opportunity for these members to coordinate their views on the sidelines of GECF meetings and prior to the OPEC’s upcoming ministerial meeting to be held next month in Vienna.

_Unlike OPEC, GECF does not function as on organization. However, for the last 14 years since its foundation, it has performed in better discipline and organization in terms of decision-making. Drafting of update regulations by the ministerial meetings can prepare the ground for adoption of effective decisions on the global gas market developments.

It is for years that OPEC has failed to reach an agreement on the election of its secretary general while GECF procedures in this regard are transparent to a large extent and prevent decision-making gridlocks similar to what is happening in OPEC.

_In spite of GECF’s smooth decision-making system, the major international gas body is entangled with procedural issues and has avoided dealing with substantial issues of the gas market such as the supply level and pricing. However, OPEC from onset of the second decade of its existence stepped into changing the ruling system of crude oil pricing and, at the time it was as old as GECF today, increased fourfold the global oil prices through the action of a number of members.

_GECF is acting in an atmosphere which is different from 1970s in which oil prices were quadrupled. While in 1960s and 1970s, bipolar system and nationalization of oil resources were the main characteristics of world order, GECF is developing in a different setting.

Globalization and cooperation among international oil companies and the countries with oil and gas resources have replaced former disputes over nationalization of oil and gas resources.

Similarly, Thanks to research activities, international oil companies have attained such levels of technology that oil and gas rich countries hardly can commercialize and deliver their oil and gas resources without considering these realities and the required financial and human resources for investment.

_Whereas, 10 years ago Peak Oil Theory and prospects of terminal decline in oil and gas resources panicked energy consumers by constantly adding to the oil and gas prices in the energy market, today research and development have provided consumers with massive unconventional resources of gas and oil. This has strengthened the consuming countries position and weakened those holding conventional oil and gas resources in the market.

_Finally, the gas market is regional and diverse. It is unlikely that GECF members can in the short run play and influential role in substantial issues including global-level policy arrangements and the pricing.