OPEC Secretary General makes official visit to Paris to meet with IEA Executive Director

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol received a visit from Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the Secretary General of OPEC, at the IEA headquarters in Paris today.  

During the meeting, Dr Birol thanked Mr Barkindo for his efforts in recent years to foster frank and open dialogue between energy producers and consumers in the interests of greater oil market stability. Those efforts have taken place over a period during which major shocks have shaken global markets, including the unprecedented drop in oil demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the disruptions to supply caused by the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The discussion at the meeting covered the current situation in global energy markets, including supply and demand dynamics, and the implications for the global economy, particularly with regard to the impact on emerging and developing economies. 

The IEA and OPEC have been enhancing their technical cooperation over recent years, including to ensure comparability across their respective outlooks and studies and through various joint workshops on specific topics of shared interest.