Tehran, Dec 9, IRNA - The 12th International Energy Developments Conference entitled "Energy Geopolitical Developments and Role of Natural Gas" kicked off in Tehran in the presence of oil minister and managing directors of main and affiliated companies of Petroleum Ministry on Sunday.

Managers and experts from 16 states, including Austria, the Netherlands, Britain, Japan, Russia, France, and Belgium have participated in the gathering, out of whom 13 deliver speeches, PIN reported.

Olympic Hotel in western Tehran is playing host to the international conference today and tomorrow, said an Institute for International Energy Studies (IIES) official.

Mohsen Rowhani, the international affairs head of IIES, added predictions showed that share of natural gas in the countries' energy basket would soar until 2025. "Gas reserves, different transportation of gas in comparison with oil, privatization, shifting consumer markets from Europe and the United States to Asia particularly China, and changes in national companies' roles, are among factors behind changes in energy geopolitics," he said.

The first "call for paper" was announced on the website of the institute last March, said Rowhani, adding 51 articles were sent to the secretariat, out of which one-third were accepted.

He said 1,000 to 1,200 participated in the previous editions of the conference and over 900 registered for the underway gathering, of whom 80 were from foreign countries.

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