TEHRAN, May 28 (MNA) – Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima presented the official invitation of the president of his country to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for the upcoming meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Lima handed over the invitation to Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh in Tehran on Monday.

During the meeting, the two officials also discussed energy cooperation between Tehran and Malabo.

The fifth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum is scheduled for November 26 in the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo.

Moreover, the second international gas seminar will be held on November 27 in the same place.

GECF summit is held every two years in one of the member countries. The last and fourth summit was held last year Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the third one was held in Tehran, the second one in Moscow and the first one was arranged in Doha, Qatar.

Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates are the 12 main members of GECF, and the Netherlands, Norway, Iraq, Oman, Peru, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Angola are observing members and participate in the GECF assembly.

GECF member states account for 44% of the world gas production, 67% of the global gas reserves, 64% of the world’s pipeline gas transmission and 66% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade.

MNA/SHANA