Khan goes to Russia

Energy Minister Franklin Khan is expected to be appointed alternative chairman of the Gas Exporting Companies Forum (GECF) executive board at the 19th ministerial meeting of the GECF in Moscow, Russia. The meeting takes place from October 3 to 7.

This means that Khan, who will lead the TT delegation to the F meeting, will miss the presentation of the 2017/2018 budget in Parliament on October 2 He will also miss Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's response to the budget on October 6.

In a statement yesterday, the Energy Ministry said Khan's appointment means that TT will host the annual ministerial meeting in 2018.

The GECF is considered the gas equivalent of the Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC), with its member countries accounting for approximately 67 per cent of the world natural gas reserves.

The Fourth GECF Gas Summit is scheduled to take place in Santa Cruz, Bolivia on November 24. This is a biennial meeting of heads of state and government of GECF member countries. Current members of the GECF include Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, TT, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Oman and Peru are observers.