TEHRAN -- The International Conference entitled "8th Annual Middle East Gas Summit" attended by Iranian and foreign officials and experts opened here Tuesday morning, IRNA reported.

Iran's Minister of Oil Bijan Namdar Zangeneh in his address to the opening session of the gathering outlined Iran's capabilities in meeting the world energy needs and also the benefits of using gas as a clean energy source.

He said that natural gas is known as the fuel of choice in the present century and the world enjoys the highest demand growth vis-à-vis other energy carriers due to its inherent traits and environment-friendliness.

Referring to the fact that the world natural gas use has risen two or three percent per year ever since the 1970's, he noted that such growth is predicted to continue at least up to 2020.

Zangeneh remarked that next year would witness the rising dependence of main consumption centers on natural gas, adding that places like Western Europe, the U.S., industrialized states and developing nations of East Asia would be integrated to such growth.

Pointing to the locations of gas deposits, which are mostly far from the main consumption centers, he emphasized the need to expand international cooperation, particularly joint ventures among producers and consumers to realize sustainable development and suitable access of end-users to gas resources.

"Gas transmission pipelines may serve as peace and friendship axes among nations in the global milieu, in addition to meeting the countries' energy needs," Zangeneh said.

On Iran's gas capabilities, the minister said that Iran enjoys the second largest natural gas reserves with 18 percent of the world's total reserves and is pursuing gas replacement policies with crude oil, inside the country.

The Iranian Minister remarked that the share of natural gas in the country's energy basket would rise from the present 42 percent to 55 percent in three years' time, on the basis of Iran's natural gas expansion policy launched in 1990.

He also noted that Iran's natural gas output is planned to rise from its current 300 to 500 million cubic meter per year by 2005.

In another part of his speech, he said Iran intends to export its natural gas via pipelines to neighbors and through LNG to long-haul users.

Concluding his speech, the minister announced that Iran is ready to play a constructive role for its part in safeguarding the world's sustainable energy security and peace through advancing its energy policies.

Qatar's Minister of Energy and Industry & Chairman of Qatar Petroleum Abdullah al-Attiyah in his keynote address expressed his pleasure to participate in the Gas Summit, due to the brotherly and close relationship between Qatar and Iran on one hand and the fruitful cooperation between Qatar Petroleum and its counterpart in the Islamic Republic of Iran on the other. He underlined that the world has sufficient gas reserves but gas production is not in line with such resources. The minister said, "Large export-oriented gas projects are capital and technology intensive. The legitimate aspirations of the gas producing developing countries who have invested heavily in developing their natural gas resources and whose economies are heavily dependent on revenue from their energy export have to be accommodated."

He went on to say that Qatar has directed its efforts toward optimizing the use of gas and increasing its competitive position in the various consumption centers, through increased efficiency and reducing the cost of production and delivery.

Al-Attiyah expressed his wish that the summit would come up with efficient modalities of production, exploitation and marketing of natural gas worldwide. He also stressed the fundamental need to avoid friction and confrontation between producer and consumer groups.