Azerbaijan, Baku, Jun.30/ Trend R.Zamanov/
Iran is selected to host the third summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said on Sunday, the IRIB News Agency reported.
The proposal to host the event was made by Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi at the GECF ministerial meeting in the Russian capital, Moscow.
"The proposal was welcomed and unanimously accepted by the energy ministers attending the meeting," he said.
Qasemi arrived in Moscow on Friday, heading a high-ranking delegation, to attend the GECF ministerial meeting ahead of the forum's second summit scheduled to be held in Moscow on July 1-2.
Iranian incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also scheduled to take part in the event.
Previously Iran's representative to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Seyyed Mohammad Ali Khatibi has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited his Iranian counterpart.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is an intergovernmental organization of 11 of the world's leading natural gas producers made up of Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
GECF members together control over 70% of the world's natural gas reserves, 38% of the pipeline trade and 85% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
The three largest reserve-holders in the GECF - Russia, Iran and Qatar - together hold about 57% of global gas reserves.
The GECF was established in Tehran, Iran, in 2001.