Tehran: The Iranian capital will host the 26th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) from December 6 to 8, according to a senior official of the Iranian Oil Ministry. Ali Mohammad Mousavi, who serves as deputy minister of oil for international and trade affairs, announced that Iran will be the rotating president of the December GECF meeting in Tehran.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the meeting will see participation from 16 countries, which are among the world’s most significant producers and exporters of natural gas. The Tehran ministerial meeting will be chaired by Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. The GECF consists of 12 member countries and eight observer states, with additional nations typically participating as guests.
Mousavi stated that 10 countries have expressed their readiness to participate in the upcoming Tehran meeting, ensuring that the meeting will have the quorum to proceed. In a related development, the GECF Secretary General Mohamed Hamel arrived
in Tehran on Wednesday to take part in the meeting.
The idea for the GECF was proposed by Iran in the late 1990s, with its first meeting held in Tehran in 2001. The Forum officially commenced its activities nine years later, and its secretariat is currently based in Qatar. GECF member countries hold 70% of the world’s proven gas reserves and account for approximately 40% of global gas production.
