Iran’s Governor at the Petroleum Exporting Countries Mohammad Ali Khatibi said Tehran is competing with two other rivals over the leadership of the world’s major oil and gas cartels, OPEC and GECF.
“Iran is now the main contender in OPEC for the post of secretary-general, and we do our best to compete with other rivals,” Khatibi added.
As regards the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Khatibi, who is also a deputy oil minister for internatinal affairs, said, “We have considered a candidate with a high chance for the post of GECF secretary general and hope that he will win the post.”
He underlined that an Iranian representative is currently in charge of a very important department at OPEC Secretariat.
In relevant remarks in April, Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi announced that Iran and Iraq are in tight rivalry over the post of the Secretary General of the OPEC after speculations about Saudi Arabia’s retreat.
“Saudi Arabia’s firm decision to retreat its candidacy for the post of OPEC Secretary-General has not yet been announced, but it seems that Iran and Iraq are stronger candidates for the post than Saudi Arabia,” Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi said last month.
Qassemi underlined Iran’s resolve to introduce a candidate, possibly Former Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari, for the OPEC Secretary-General post, and said the country is having strenuous consultations with other members of the oil cartel in a bid to increase Nozari’s chance.
Iraq has also nominated its former Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban for the post.
A senior Iranian legislator underlined last month that although there is a tight competition between Iran and Iraq for the post of OPEC secretary-general, it seems that Iran has a better chance for “winning the valuable” post.
“Iran is among those countries which have had an effective presence in OPEC since the very first day of its inauguration and it has higher skills and experiences compared to the other members of the Organization,” member of the parliament’s Energy Commission Hossein Amiri Khamkani said in July.
OPEC is an intergovernmental organization that was created at the Baghdad Conference in September 1960, by Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Later it was joined by nine more members, including Libya, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola, and Gabon.
OPEC was headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland before moving to Vienna, Austria, in September 1965.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) comprises Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Kazakhstan, Iraq, the Netherlands and Norway have the status of Observer Members.
The Forum is a multi-layered and open organization providing flexibility of participation in its activities. GECF highly values the potential of its present Members and Observers and at the same time encourages further increase in their numbers and welcomes new members.
