TheCable

Mohammad Barkindo, secretary-general, Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), visited the Al-Shaab Hall in Baghdad, capital of Iraq.

Barkindo visited the hall on Thursday ahead of the OPEC anniversary.

The Al-Shaab Hall is the site of OPEC’s founding.

It hosted the first meeting in September 1960, which saw OPEC’s founding members — Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela — coming together to establish the organisation. The meeting is known as the ‘Baghdad Conference’.

In a statement, the oil cartel said the hall underwent a complete renovation as part of the country’s preparation to host OPEC’s 60th anniversary.

The celebration, now scheduled to hold in early 2022, had been postponed several times due to health and safety reasons.

Speaking at the historical site, Barkindo commended Iraq for playing an instrumental role in shaping global oil and gas affairs.

“As we prepare to celebrate this historic event, I want to use this opportunity to extend our deep gratitude to the Government and heroic People of Iraq for preserving this historic monument – the Al-Shaab Hall in the Bab Al-Muaatham district – and wish them all the continued blessing of Allah and many years of peace, stability, growth, development and prosperity,” he said.

“We, in OPEC, are very proud of the leadership of Iraq in our organisation and the international oil industry.”

Senior officials from Iraq’s oil ministry and a delegation from the OPEC secretariat were also in attendance.

During his visit, the OPEC secretary-general will hold bilateral meetings with Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, prime minister of Iraq; Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismaael, oil minister; and other Iraqi leaders.

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