Tehran To Host 15th Ministerial Meeting Of Gas Exporting Forum

Tehran, Nov 27, IRNA -- Tehran will host 15th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Forum next year. The decision was made in the 14th meeting of the Ministers of the GEF in Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, on November 21st, 2012. The participating ministers agreed to hold the second Gas Summit of heads of state and Government of the GEF in the Russian Federation in 2013, and the ordinary Ministerial Meeting in the Islamic Republic of Iran in November 2013. They also approved the Action Plan and Budget of the GEF for the year 2013 and the appointment of Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi, as President of the Ministerial Meeting for the year 2013, and Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry of the State of Qatar, as Alternate President of the Ministerial Meeting for the year 2013. The meeting was attended by Ministers and Heads of delegation from 12 Member countries, namely, Iran, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela, as well as Observer Member from the Netherlands to exchange views on current developments in global natural gas market and the progress of the affairs of the Forum. The Ministers expressed their appreciation to Minister Gabriel M. Obiang Lima for his Presidency of the Ministerial Meeting and efforts during the year 2012. The Ministers highlighted the importance of natural gas as a green fuel, an abundant resource and a safe, clean, reliable and efficient energy carrier./end