Naimi recognized the initiative and contribution of the Indian government which held the first Roundtable meeting in 2005. He also extended his thanks to Mani Shankar Aiyer, the former Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas for his role in organizing and hosting the First Energy Forum in January 2005, with Kuwait as co-host and the General Secretariat of the Forum as coordinator. Al-Naimi stressed the importance of this meeting for the producers and consumers of oil and natural gas. Asia, he said "represents more than half of the world's population , its oil and natural gas production is equal to 1/3rd of the world production and it is privileged to have 2/3rd of oil and natural gas reserves. Al-Naimi assured oil importing countries that they can depend on West Asia for future demand. He added that most of the key producing countries are present at this roundtable meeting and that they are all committed to exert tremendous efforts and investment to secure energy production and supply. --MORE
