OPEC head says group vital to global energy stability, security

VIENNA, July 9 (KUNA) -- Speaking at OPEC's 9th International Seminar by video, Iranian Energy Minister and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) President Mohsen Paknejad urged a science-based, non-ideological energy approach and stressed OPEC's crucial role in global energy security.
He added that every viewpoint merits respect and that mutual respect is essential for shared solutions.
OPEC's international engagement, he noted, underscores that energy--the bedrock of the global economy and daily life--must remain stable.
Citing the latest International Energy Agency (IEA) data, Paknejad said last year saw record-high energy demand across all sources, with oil alone supplying about 30 percent of global energy.
OPEC, he mentioned, is vital to balancing markets and limiting price volatility that affects the entire world, including host nation Austria.
On the energy transition, he welcomed advances in renewables and electric-vehicle sales but insisted decarburization must rest on science and realism, not ideological slogans.
All technologies, sectors, and voices must be included, he said, making OPEC indispensable to success.
He closed by echoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) President Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber's quote, "Energy has the power to reshape the world." (end) amq.lr