Mohammad Barkindo, Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), visited the Al-Shaab Hall in Baghdad, capital of Iraq.

Barkindo visited the room on Thursday ahead of OPEC’s anniversary.

The Al-Shaab Hall is the founding site of OPEC.

It hosted the first meeting in September 1960, which saw OPEC’s founding members – Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela – come together to create the organization. The meeting is known as the “Baghdad Conference”.

In a statement, the oil cartel said the hall had undergone a complete renovation as part of the country’s preparations to host OPEC’s 60th anniversary.

The celebration, now scheduled for early 2022, had been postponed several times for health and safety reasons.

Speaking at the historic site, Barkindo praised Iraq for playing a pivotal role in shaping global oil and gas affairs.

“As we prepare to celebrate this historic event, I want to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to the government and heroic people of Iraq for the preservation of this historic monument – the Al-Shaab Hall in the Bab Al neighborhood. -Muaatham – and wish everyone the continued blessing of Allah and many years of peace, stability, growth, development and prosperity, ”he said.

“We at OPEC are very proud of Iraq’s leadership in our organization and in the international oil industry. “

Senior officials from the Iraqi petroleum ministry and a delegation from the OPEC secretariat were also present.

During his visit, the OPEC Secretary General will have bilateral talks with Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, Iraqi Prime Minister; Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismaael, Minister of Petroleum; and other Iraqi leaders.

See the pictures below: