Ministers from gas-exporting countries are meeting in Moscow to put the finishing touches to their new grouping amid Western fears the group could act as the gas equivalent of the OPEC oil cartel.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum groups Russia, the world's biggest gas producer, with other gas-rich states such as Iran and Qatar and 11 other gas-exporting countries.
Officials have been at pains to emphasise that the purpose of the annual meeting is to finalise and approve a charter for the body rather than create a cartel to fix prices.
Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said: 'I emphasise that we have no intention of creating a cartel of producers.
'Our aim is to guarantee an indispensible equilibrium between gas suppliers and to coordinate policies between consumer and producer countries,' he added.
