TEHRAN, Nov. 16 (Shana) � A member of the Iranian parliament's planning and budget committee said the upcoming GECF summit meeting will promote unity among the forum's members, boosting global energy security.
Esmaeil Jalili told Shana that energy security is chiefly considered by both suppliers and consumers of energy carriers in the world and events like the upcoming GECF meeting will be of great importance in this regard.
He said Iran's oil diplomacy has become activated since President Rouhani took office.

The MP said the Iranian Ministry of Petroleum has carte blanche to enhance the country's oil and gas exports.
"Exporting natural gas, especially to its neighbors, is priorities by Iran, and the GECF summit meeting can ensure gas consumers security of the item's supply," he added.

The summit meeting will enhance unity of the GECF members which will be useful for the global energy market in the end of the day.
GECF members account for 42 percent of global gas output, 70 percent of global gas reserves, 40 percent of pipe gas transmission, and 65 percent of global trade of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

GECF consists of 17 main and observer members with its permanent secretariat positioned in Doha, Qatar.
Russia, Iran, Qatar, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates, are main members of the gas exporting body. Observer countries are the Netherlands, Iraq, Oman, Peru and Norway.

The third summit meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) will be held in Tehran on November 20-23. Previous GECF gas summits were held in Qatar in 2011 and in Moscow in 2013.

By SHANA