SHANA - Iran's Mohammad Hossein Adeli has been replaced by Russian Yuri Sentyurin as the Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Mr. Sentyurin's tenure officially starts on January 3.

On October 4, 2017, Yuri Sentyurin was appointed as the next Secretary General of Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) for a period of 2 years starting from January 2018.

Since 12 November 2010, he has served as state Secretary and Deputy Minister of energy of Russia.

Adeli held the post for two two-year tenures since 2014.

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum 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.