Rouhani invites Putin to GECF

TEHRAN, Oct. 25 (MNA) – Iran’s president has officially invited the Russian president to participate in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in Tehran due next month. The third summit of GECF will be held in Tehran in November while the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group of countries has provided the possibility of a new round of gas partnership between Iran and the world. In meeting with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Valentinovich Novak, Iran's First Vice President Es'hagh Jahangiri conveyed greetings of Hassan Rouhani to the president of Russia inviting him to attend the third summit of GECF; “Iran looks for Russia’s participation in the summit at the highest possible level.” In time with Iran’s official invitation of the Russian president to participate in the international summit of gas industry, Iran has so far made correspondences with presidents and heads of various member countries of GECF and Rouhani’s invitation has been sent to Algeria, the UAE and Venezuela as key members and Iraq and Oman as observer members. Moreover, Iran has recently submitted formal invitations to presidents of several other countries including Qatar, Egypt, Bolivia, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago as the key members of GECF and the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Peru and Norway as observer members. Meanwhile, several heads of countries are expected to visit Tehran to attend the summit including Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, the President of UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, the Iraqi President Fuad Masum, the President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Sultan Qaboos of Oman and senior officials of other gas producing countries.