By Teddy Nwanunobi
The Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, has extended his condolences to the Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Mines, HE Mohamed Arkab, on the passing of Algeria’s former President, HE Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
In a letter addressed to Arkab, who is also Algeria’s Head of Delegation to OPEC, Barkindo said that Bouteflika earned a special place in OPEC.
“It is with a heavy heart that I received the very sad news of the passing of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who will be long remembered for his dedication to our organization, and his decisive support for the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC).
“Excellency, in recalling these achievements, we must never forget the legacy of those visionaries who were instrumental in bringing them about”
“Over the course of his 20 years in the presidency, President Bouteflika was a gracious and generous host to many meetings of the OPEC Conference and leading industry events. But he earned a special place in the history books for his skilled diplomacy and crucial backing of the discussions by OPEC and leading non-OPEC oil-producing nations in 2016 that would bring about the DoC,” he said.
Barkindo recalled key decisions that were taken in Algiers in September 2016 that helped pave the way for the historic level of cooperation by OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries.
“The 170th (Extraordinary) Meeting of the OPEC Conference, which took place in Algiers five years ago, established a High-Level Committee to develop a framework for consultations between OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries, including taking proactive measures that would ensure a balanced oil market on a sustainable basis. This key outcome, on 28 September 2016, was the initial step in the series of events that would lead to signing of the landmark DoC framework on 10 December 2016 in Vienna. On many succeeding occasions, both the OPEC and non-OPEC participating countries paid special tribute to President Bouteflika for his influential role in the establishment of the DoC.
“Though the visionary leaders at the time could not foresee a challenge as monumental as the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe a large part of the oil market stabilisation we have seen over the past 18 months can be attributed to the historic actions undertaken by the countries in the DoC. Together, we have averted a far deeper market crisis, helped restore order to the market, and have provided a platform for recovery. We would not be where we are today, were it not for the key decisions taken in Algiers in September 2016 that helped pave the way for this historic level of cooperation by OPEC and non-OPEC oil-producing countries.
“In addition to his dedication to OPEC and the DoC, Abdelaziz Bouteflika was a hero of the war for independence and went on to become a long-serving diplomat, as Foreign Minister in his newly independent country and President of the 29th UN General Assembly in 1974. Among his many diplomatic accomplishments, Abdelaziz Bouteflika was a tireless supporter of non-aligned nations and ensured they had a powerful voice on the global stage. He will also be remembered as a pan-Africanist who was instrumental, along with the Presidents of Nigeria and South Africa, in establishing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2001. In the years that followed, President Bouteflika continued to support and promote NEPAD’s role within the African Union as a strategic framework to promote socio-economic development, opportunity and cooperation across the African continent.
“Excellency, in recalling these achievements, we must never forget the legacy of those visionaries who were instrumental in bringing them about. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who devoted his life to public service, global diplomacy and ultimately the Presidency of Algeria, will be among those we shall remember and revere. On behalf of OPEC, I would also like to convey my sincerest sympathies to you, Excellency, and to the people of the Republic of Algeria, at this time of monumental grief,” he added.