Qatar calls for protection of shipping routes at Moscow ministerial meeting

Shipping routes and energy infrastructure must be protected in conflicts to minimise disruption to global trade and energy security, Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, who also serves as president and chief executive of QatarEnergy told a meeting in Moscow.

Speaking at the 28th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Moscow, minister of state for energy affairs called for the protection of energy infrastructure and shipping routes, stating: “It is critical that we work together to protect energy infrastructure during times of conflict, including energy routes and maritime shipping lanes, whose disruption has far-reaching implications for global trade and energy security.”

He pointed to conflict in the Gulf region and repeated attacks on energy facilities and assets there, which he said have sharply reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and limited access to energy and other essential products.

“The State of Qatar itself was the target of several attacks on our energy production facilities. As a result, our production was halted, and our LNG vessels faced severe restrictions on their movement through regional shipping routes,” he added.

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