TEHRAN – Iran has been elected as chair of the executive board of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), and its proposal to transform the forum into an “Organization of Gas Exporting Countries” received broad support, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting in Doha, Paknejad said the gathering — the forum’s highest decision-making body — discussed administrative, structural, and budgetary matters for the coming year.

“Iran was elected to chair the GECF executive board, and our proposal to elevate the forum into an organization was positively received,” he said. “This transformation would enhance the body’s effectiveness within the global energy landscape, particularly among major gas producers and exporters.”

The minister noted that the meeting also addressed the selection of a new GECF secretary-general, as the incumbent’s term had ended.

“There was a general inclination among ministers to elect a candidate from a member country that has not previously held the post, though no final decision has been reached yet,” he added.

EF/MA