Press TV cited Mr Mohammad Ali Khatibi Iran's representative to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum as saying that experts from the group's members will hold a meeting in Qatar on November 9th to 10th 2009.

Mr Ali Khatibi said that the meeting will pave the way for Gas Exporting Countries Forum's ministerial gathering in Doha on December 9th 2009. He said that the world's major gas producers would discuss financial and administrative issues of the 11 member organization.

According to Mr Khatibi, the ministerial meeting is expected to make decisions on the appointment of the organization's secretary general, inauguration of its permanent secretariat headquarters and gas prices in international markets.

As per report, the GECF has so far held 8 ministerial meetings. The first was held in 2001 in Iran and the most recent in Qatar, in June 2009. Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela are all members of the GECF. Norway and Kazakhstan have observer status in the organization.

Iran, Qatar and Russia holders of the world's largest gas reserves have separately created a 'gas troika' to expand trilateral gas cooperation and implement joint projects.

(Sourced from Press TV)