Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani opened the third summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) at the Summit Conference Hall in the Iranian capital city of Tehran at 4:00 pm local time.
The seven visiting presidents of Russia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Turkmenistan, Nigeria, Iraq, and Algerian prime minister all were welcomed by President Rouhani upon their arrival to the hall.
The ceremony was inaugurated with a group photo and following the anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Rouhani got behind the lectern.
The heads of visiting delegations and the general secretary of the forum will be the next to deliver each a 7 minute speech afterward.
Then the heads of states will sit behind closed door meeting scheduled to be opened by Iran’s oil minister’s report and wrapped up by the final statement.
The next in agenda of the officials is to hold bilateral talks and President Rouhani will close the event with giving a presser.
Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela are members of the forum.
Kazakhstan, Iraq, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Peru, and Azerbaijan are the observer members.
GPCE members allegedly produce 42 percent of global gas output, own 70 percent of global gas reserves, run 40 percent of pipe gas transmission, and sell 65 percent of global trade of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
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