GECF may increase member states

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) may increase its member states, Iran's deputy oil minister for international affairs Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, said.

“Some countries, including Azerbaijan, are interested to be selected as an observer member of the forum,” IRNA news agency quoted Zamaninia as saying on November 21.

The 17th ordinary ministerial meeting of the member states and an extraordinary ministerial meeting are being held in Tehran.

Currently, the member countries of the forum are Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman and Peru have the status of observer members. 

Zamaninia also said that the GECF ordinary ministerial meeting will most probably reelect Iran’s Mohammad-Hossein Adeli as the secretary general. For the time being, only Libya has been announced candidacy for the position, he noted.

Together, the GECF’s 12 member countries account for 67% of the world’s gas reserves, for 64% of global LNG exports and for 42% of cross-border pipeline trade.