OPEC Secretary General meets Ecuador’s President

OPEC Secretary General, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, met with the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, on November 17 in the capital city of Quito. The meeting was also attended by Guillaume Long, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, President Correa reiterated his country’s commitment for “cohesion and consensus” among OPEC Member Countries in their resolve for a sustainable market stability. These efforts should be complemented by effective contributions from non-OPEC countries, while dialogue with other producing countries should be further strengthened through active interactions and regular meetings. President Correa praised the vigorous role of the Secretary General in this process and expressed his personal support for his unrelenting efforts.

Separately, Minister Long recalled the achievements made during the meeting in Algeria, which produced the ‘Algiers Accord’. He also confirmed that he would form part of the Ecuadorean delegation that will attend the next series of meetings among producers scheduled later this month.

“We need a stable market so we can ensure the sustainability of petroleum investments in the long-term, for the benefit of producers, exporters, consumers,” Long said, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. “By visiting Member Countries, the Secretary General is ensuring that upcoming meetings will be a success,” he said.

The Secretary General, at the conclusion of the one-hour meeting, said that “Ecuador has been the voice of reason, of stability and constructive dialogue between OPEC members and non-members,” and further called on the President Correa to continue with this tradition of constructive leadership. In addition, the Secretary General commended the President and his government for the significant economic shift achieved during his last ten-year tenure, which has been reflected in a doubling of GDP and the economic diversification of the country.

HE Mohammad Barkindo, who was appointed in August as the Secretary General of the Organization, is visiting OPEC Member Countries for continuous consultations in the lead-up to the various meetings scheduled for later this month, including the Meeting of the OPEC Conference on 30 November in Vienna.

Before arriving in Quito, the Secretary General on Wednesday met with the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas. He left Quito late Thursday to proceed to IR Iran for meetings on Saturday (19 November) before returning to Vienna.