TEHRAN, Feb. 5 (Mehr News Agency) -- Iran's Oil Minister on Monday said that Iran, Qatar, and Russia will assess the formation of a natural gas exporting group, similar to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on March 6.

Iran, Russia, and Qatar are to forward the issue during a six session of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) slated for March 6, Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh added during the commissioning ceremony of Jam-Taheri-Assaluyeh Highway in southern Iran.

The GECF six session was planned to be held last September in Qatar, "but it was postponed until January and then until March," the official explained, according to the Mehr News Agency.

Hamaneh named a lack of welcome by the GECF members as the reason behind delays of holding the session.

"Given a proposal by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the formation of a gas cartel like OPEC, the issue can be forwarded at the GECF session," the senior Iranian official noted, adding, "then, the gas exporting countries would not have a forum rather they would have a cartel."

As for the Articles of Association of the Oil Ministry, Hamaneh stated that it would be handed over to the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) in the next couple of days.