TEHRAN (Tasnim) � The possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin�s visit to Tehran to participate in a forum of gas exporters, due on November 23, is being looked into, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

"Such forum will indeed be held in Tehran. The Russian president has an invitation to the forum. The issue is being looked into," he said, the Russian Tass news agency reported.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) set up in 2001 is an intergovernmental organization of world's leading natural gas producers. GECF members together control over 70% of the world's natural gas reserves.

The Gas Summit, scheduled to be held later this month in Tehran, is a meeting of heads of state and governments of GECF member countries. It is an opportunity for heads of state to interact and exchange views.

The Summit affords GECF member states the opportunity to discuss at the highest level developments, trends, and policies on energy in general and gas in particular and also to reaffirm their continued support to the objectives of the Forum.

The forum, founded in 2001, unites leading natural gas exporting countries and coordinates cooperation between its member states.

Iran, Russia, Algeria, the UAE, Venezuela, Qatar, Egypt, Bolivia, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago are the members of the forum and the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Peru, Iraq, Oman, and Norway hold observer status.

By Tasnim News Agency