TheCable

Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister, has vowed to support the administration of Mohammad Barkindo, secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

In a meeting in Doha on Sunday, the prime minister, who was joined by Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Qatar’s minister of energy and industry, expressed his country’s commitment to help attain a stable oil market.

Al-Thani congratulated Barkindo on his new position as OPEC secretary-general and reassured him of “the continued support of Qatar at all times to ensure his success”.

The Qatari prime minister expressed confidence that Barkindo would work closely with OPEC member countries to overcome the current challenges in the interest of all oil producers and consumers.

“The Doha initiative in February and April this year has provided both OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers a platform upon which a credible framework can be further developed to restore oil market stability,” Barkindo told Abdullah.

Qatar invited OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers for a meeting that was held in Doha in April this year to discuss oil market developments.

The OPEC secretary-general praised the wise leadership of Qatar’s Emir, Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, and his government for transforming Qatar into “a peaceful, stable and prosperous state.”

Barkindo also acknowledged the visionary Presidency of Al-Sada, who doubles as the president of the OPEC conference.

A closed-door meeting was held later in the day between Al-Sada and Barkindo to review oil market developments.

The secretary general is expected to hold on Monday, a tripartite meeting with Al-Sada and Noureddine Boutarfa, Algeria’s Minister of Energy, who is also currently visiting Qatar.

Barkindo was scheduled to later travel from Doha to Tehran to meet with Hassan Rouhani, Iranian president, and Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Iran’s minister of petroleum.