According to PIN, Iran's candidate for the post to head the group of 11 gas exporting countries is Dr. Hojatollah Ghanimifard, Vice president for investment affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company.
Heading a high ranking delegation, Iran's Oil Minister Gholamhossien Nozari will leave Tehran to Doha tomorrow Monday to take part in the 8th Gas Exporting Company Forum in Qatar.
The eighth GECF session, the first only after the constitution approval, will be held on Tuesday June 30 in Doha with the presence of 11 member countries including Algeria, Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
The GECF was expected to discuss about the forum next six month budget, human resources and mainly to choose a secretary general. The GECF executive board will meet on June 29 to vote the candidates.
At the first Executive committee of the forum hold on March 8, 2009 in Moscow, the members indicated the features and characteristic of the candidate to be introduced as the forum secretary. In Doha Meeting, the ministers will decide to choose the secretary general.
The 11 member states should introduce their candidate for the secretary general position by the end o June 22. According to the forum statutes, the secretary general will be chosen in alphabetical order for two years if the member countries do not reach a common agreement.
In Moscow meeting on 23 December 2008, the ministers gathered and approved the statute.
Gas exporters set up the GECF in 2001 to boost coordination and cooperation. Iran, Venezuela, Qatar, Algeria and Russia which hold nearly 73 percent of world gas reserves, supply 42% of global gas demand.