He made the remarks at the 189th (Ordinary) Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which convened today, under the Chairmanship of its President, HE Marcel Abeke, Minister of Petroleum of the Gabonese Republic and Head of its Delegation.

I would like to express deep appreciation for your condolences message on the tragic loss of my late brother. Receiving your heartfelt sympathies and messages of condolences have provided comfort to me, the minister said at the beginning of his speech.

Paknejad went on to say that "I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Your Excellency, President of the Conference, Excellencies, my fellow Ministers for entrusting the Iranian Minister of Petroleum to be the President of the OPEC Conference in 2025."

He stated that Undoubtedly, being in this position will be an honor for both myself and my country, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the founding members of OPEC," noting "We are all well aware of the sensitivity and complexity of the current global situation and the importance of maintaining OPEC's internal unity and cohesion, while also continuing engagement and cooperation with our Non-OPEC partners under the framework of Declaration of Cooperation."

I take this opportunity to congratulate the 8th anniversary of OPEC and non-OPEC Declaration of Cooperation, Paknejad said, adding "A good understanding of this path will serve as the guiding light for our future endeavors."

Concluding his address, the Iranian minister said "As the President of the OPEC Conference in 2025, I am fully committed myself to using all my capacity and efforts to strengthen the spirit of cohesion, solidarity and the advancement of our honored Organization."