Iran has nominated National Iranian Oil Co. executive Hojatollah Ghanimifard as candidate for the role to head the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, or GECF, officials said Monday.
Iran is the only country so far that has nominated a candidate for the open secretary-general position at the GECF, a group of gas exporting nations that also includes Qatar and Russia, the officials said.
Ghanimifard is vice president for investment affairs at state-run NIOC.
"Iran presented a CV but the other countries including Russia and Equatorial Guinea haven't. Whatever we have today will be the agenda for tomorrow's ministerial meeting," said Moro Feliciano, director general at Equatorial Guinea's Ministry of Energy.
Iran's OPEC governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi and Ghanimifard both confirmed the nomination but said it was too early to draw any conclusions.
"We are not sure whether we will be given more time for CVs which were delayed because of legal issues and give opportunities for countries who were unable to submit CVs today," Feliciano said.
Apart from Russia, Iran and Qatar, the world's top three gas reserve holders, Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Norway, Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates and Trinidad and Tobago will also be attending the meeting in Doha, Qatar's capital.