Abstract

In the last years the development of the natural gas market constantly attracts the attention of the international community. Particularly with regard to questions about the balance of power and competition in the regional markets of natural gas. In this connection, it is important to analyze the interaction of the key players of the gas markets, which in this case are members of an international organization - Gas Exporting Countries Forum. As part of the GECF participants not only cooperate, but also are in a state established competition. The largest competitors are Russia, Qatar, Iran and, more recently, Algeria. Although Forum was formed with the active participation of Moscow, today the consolidation of the Arab countries signifiantly has shaken its position in the organization. In the article reviewed and analyzed the reasons for the consolidation of the Arab countries, which are members GECF, in the gas sector. The main attention is made by the author to the competition between the major producers of gas and the possible implications for each of them, and for the activities of the GECF as a whole. Separately analyzed the inflence of the Arabian gas coalition for the position of Russia in the framework of the Forum. The author tries to defie the further development of Forum view the competition between its members.