The Honourable Stuart R. Young, MP, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister led a high-level delegation from the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, representing the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, to the 7th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Summit, in Algiers, the Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Accompanying the Honourable Minister of Energy and Energy Industries were, Mrs. Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries; and Mr. Timmy Baksh, Director of Energy Research and Planning at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries.
Speaking at the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting which was hosted on 1st March, 2024 at the International Conference Centre Abdelatif Rahal, Algiers, The Honourable Stuart R. Young, MP, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, advocated for the use of natural gas as a transition fuel; the ability to utilize sovereign resources; and energy security.
Minister Young stated, “Your Excellencies, it is incumbent upon us to raise our voices globally in the conversation of energy security and food security, and to demand the ability and the opportunities to utilize our sovereign resources, and importantly, to work together not only in the promotion of the use of natural gas, which will inevitably feature as the energy source for decades to come in a clean energy environment, but also for us to work together to exploit our own gas resources. Your Excellencies, Trinidad and Tobago, as small as it is, continues to play a vital role in providing energy security, not only for Latin America and the CARICOM region, but also as far away as Europe. As I look around this room, I call upon us once again to use the body of the GECF to raise the platform and the voices for natural gas.”
Minister Young also made a call to support the African continent’s ability to independently develop its own resources for energy security in that part of the world. The ‘dragon gas deal’ was also highlighted as an example of a project that allows two GECF members countries to move forward to develop resources.
In closing Minister Young stated, “I look forward to us working closer together as a united voice, sometimes to push back on those who make decisions in far-off places that directly affect our ability to develop our own resources.”
The GECF Summit is the eminent meeting of Heads of State and Government from the Member Countries of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. It serves as a platform for the esteemed leaders to engage in constructive dialogue and share their insights on recent developments and future perspectives regarding energy in general and natural gas in particular. The Summit is anticipated to culminate in the issuance of the Algiers Declaration.
