8th OPEC Int'l Seminar focuses on sustainable, inclusive energy transition

This photo taken on July 5, 2023 shows a scene of the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria. (Xinhua/He Canling)

Participants will discuss key issues and challenges facing the oil and energy industry, including energy transition, energy poverty alleviation, energy security, climate change policies, investment, technology and innovation.

VIENNA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Wednesday kicked off here the 8th OPEC International Seminar, its flagship energy event.

The two-day seminar, themed "Towards a sustainable and inclusive energy transition," brings together ministers from OPEC member countries and other oil-producing and consuming nations as well as representatives of international organizations, oil and energy companies, academics, and other industry experts.

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais delivers a speech during the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/He Canling)

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais told the seminar's opening ceremony that the sustainability of energy transition means balancing the needs of the current and next generations and balancing the relationship between development and environmental protection, while inclusivity means that there are multiple pathways to realize energy transition and tackle climate change and that "all voices are heard" in the discussions of the transition.

Antonio Oburu Ondo, president of the OPEC Conference in 2023 and Equatorial Guinea's minister of mines and hydrocarbons, delivers a speech during the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/He Canling)

Antonio Oburu Ondo, president of the OPEC Conference in 2023 and Equatorial Guinea's minister of mines and hydrocarbons, said at the ceremony that the seminar would address the major challenges and opportunities facing the global oil industry and provide a platform for dialogue between OPEC and oil-consuming countries.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman (R) speaks during the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/He Canling)

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said that OPEC would stay committed to maintaining the stability of the global oil market.

This year's seminar features a slate of high-level roundtables, ministerial sessions and exhibitions. Participants will discuss key issues and challenges facing the oil and energy industry, including energy transition, energy poverty alleviation, energy security, climate change policies, investment, technology and innovation.

Guests attend the 8th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, July 5, 2023. (Xinhua/He Canling)

The current OPEC International Seminar series was inaugurated in 2001. The 7th OPEC International Seminar, held in 2018, attracted nearly 1,000 participants from over 50 countries and regions.