Gas Exporting Countries Forum kicks off at Kremlin

Bolivian President Evo Morales (left), Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (2nd left), Russia's President Vladimir Putin (3rd L), Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (center), Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (4th right) and other officials pose for a picture at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) at the Kremlin in Moscow, July 1, 2013. Putin on Monday defended the long-term supply deals under which Russia exports the bulk of its natural gas, saying abandoning them would undermine global energy security.[Photo/Agencies]