TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (Shana) � Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said Algeria's Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal has confirmed his participation in the upcoming GECF summit meeting in Tehran.
Addressing a press conference Tuesday, Zangeneh said the presidents and heads of state of Russia, Iraq, Venezuela, Nigeria, Bolivia and Equatorial Guinea have also confirmed their presence in the summit meeting on November 23.
Algerian Energy Minister Saleh Khebri, and his advisor Ali Hashed will accompany Sellal in his Tehran visit.

Turkmenistan which is one the world�s largest holders of gas resources is not a GECF member and its participation in the summit will be with a guest status.
Previous GECF gas summits were held in Qatar in 2011 and in Moscow in 2013.

The GECF is the gathering of the world�s leading gas producers that provides a framework for exchange of experience, views, information and data, as well as coordination in gas related developments among member countries.
It 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.
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).

Covering an area of around 2,382 thousand square kilometres, the Republic of Algeria is, territorially, OPEC�s largest Member Country and the largest country in Africa. It is situated in the north of the continent, and shares borders with Morocco, the Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Tunisia. To the north is the Mediterranean Sea.

The country achieved political independence in 1962 after more than a century of colonial rule by France. Algeria�s struggle for independence was one of the most bitter in Africa�s colonial history.

It has a population of more than 39 million, with over 3.5 million living in the capital, Algiers. Arabic is the official language, while French and Berber Tamazight are also spoken. The currency is the dinar.

The oil and gas sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for about 35 per cent of the gross domestic product, and two-thirds of total exports. The country�s other natural resources include iron ore, phosphates, uranium and lead.

Algeria�s President is HE Abdelaziz Bouteflika. It joined OPEC in 1969.

By SHANA