Qatar to Host First Meeting of Gas OPEC

Qatar to Host First Meeting of Gas OPEC
The first ministerial meeting of the OPEC-like gas forum will be held in Qatar on June 30, Iran's OPEC governor announced on Monday.


"Topics such as financial issues, budget and personnel of the oil ministries of exporting, countries will be discussed and studied (at the meeting)", Iran's Governor at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Mohammad Ali Khatibi told FNA about the upcoming meeting of the Organization of Gas Exporting Countries (OGEC).

He further reminded that the statute of the gas forum had been ratified by the ministers of the gas exporting countries last December in Moscow.

Noting that Qatar has invited all the member countries to the meeting, Khatibi predicted that the ministers of all gas exporting countries would attend the conference.

"The Qatar conference is the first ministerial meeting after ratifying the statute of the gas exporting countries in Moscow," he added.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei proposed the idea of setting up "an organization of gas cooperation like OPEC" in 2007.

Gas exporting states have so far finalized establishment of a new Qatar-based forum which aims to coordinate the member states' policies while consumer countries fear that the forum could become the gas equivalent of oil cartel OPEC.

Ashgabat to Host 34th IDB Meeting

Ashgabat to Host 34th IDB Meeting

The 34th annual meeting of the board of governors of the Islamic Development Bank will open in Turkmenistan’s capital city of Ashgabat tomorrow, according to MNA.
Iran’s Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Seyyed Shamseddin Hosseini, heading a high ranking delegation, are scheduled to attend the two-day meeting, the director of the Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran said on Monday.


Behrouz Alishiri added that the IDB holds annual meetings regularly attended by economy ministers of its member states.


The Islamic Development Bank is an international financial institution established in pursuance of the Declaration of Intent issued by the Conference of Finance Ministers of Muslim Countries held in Jeddah in December 1973.


The purpose of the Bank is to foster the economic development and social progress of member countries and Muslim communities individually, as well as jointly, in accordance with the principles of Islamic Law.


IDB currently consists of 56 member countries.

US to Attend G8 Meeting alongside Iran

US to Attend G8 Meeting alongside Iran
The US State Department confirmed on Friday that the country's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend a meeting of the Group of Eight foreign ministers in Italy at the end of June.

"Yes, the secretary will attend," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.

The US announcement came a day after the Italian Foreign Ministry extended an invitation to the Islamic Republic of Iran to attend the G-8 foreign ministerial meeting in Trieste, port city north of Italy, on June 25-27.

"Iran is invited to the conference, yes," said Italy's special envoy for Afghanistan Sergio Mercuri whose country currently holds the G8 presidency.

The two-day conference aims to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan with the help of its neighbors including Iran.

Washington has backed Tehran's participation in the G8 meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan this month.

Earlier in May, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that Clinton was in favor of inviting Iran to the meeting.

Also in March, Tehran was invited to an international conference on Afghanistan at The Hague.

Washington has shown desire to reach out to Tehran to tackle problems facing Afghanistan, including the growing strength of Taliban militants across the war-torn country.

Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta has also welcomed the presence of Iran at the meeting on Afghanistan.