TEHRAN, Nov. 21 (Shana) � The Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) concluded here on Saturday with the participants anticipating brighter future for the forum and expressing support to further cooperation among the member states.

Presiding the meeting prior to convention of the summit meeting scheduled for Monday, Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said the meeting was delegated to draft the agenda and Final Declaration of the gas summit focusing on further coordinating the members.

Following the meeting, he told reporters that the declaration was approved by the ministerial meeting and will be announced at the Summit Meeting.

Also a message will be sent to the COP21 conference on environment and climate change to be held in Paris next week, Zangeneh added.

GECF Secretary General Mohammad-Hossein Adeli acknowledged members� activities and said the Tehran Gas Summit is being held amid crucial time for energy markets including gas.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak was also upbeat about level of cooperation in the GECF saying global crude oil market was affecting gas markets.

Later in the day, the 17th Ordinary Ministerial Meeting convenes with the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as the chairman to discuss the internal issues on the agenda such as budget and election of secretary general.

The twin ministerial meetings follow the Fourth Meeting of High Level Ad Hoc Group (HLAHG4) and the Executive Board (EB) Meeting at the senior expert-level which were held on Friday and finalized the internal and procedural issues on the agenda.

On Monday (Nov. 23), the 3rd GECF Gas Summit will be held to discuss market outlook and strategy while dignitaries take the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the working sessions.

According to earlier Shana reports, presidents of Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Nigeria, Russia, and Venezuela and Alegerian premier are going to participate in the event.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow whose country is one the world�s largest holders of gas resources but not a GECF member, will take part in the summit with the guest status.

In addition to heads of state and government from 17 permanent and observer countries and guests, general secretaries of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and International Energy Forum (IEF) have confirmed their participation in the third summit meeting.

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).

By SHANA