TEHRAN, Sep 06 (Shana) -- OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo said he visited Iran to thank Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh for his constructive role in his selection as the secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

"Since my election as secretary general in June and my assumption of office 4 weeks ago, first of August, apart from stopping over in Doha to meet with the current president of the conference, Mohammad Sada from Qatar, this is my first call [to Iran] and for obvious reasons, the role that Mr. Zangeneh has played in ensuring that there was a consensus in the June conference after almost three years of a state of flux, that the organization could not select a substantive secretary general which was not received well in the international industry," he said.
An organization that cannot elect a secretary general said it all, said international companies, he said.

The OPEC chief said Zangeneh played a very key role in supporting him personally, in supporting the candidate of Nigeria. "He went out of his will to convince, fellow ministers who had candidates including himself, to please see this reason and support Nigeria."
"I am personally grateful for his effort and also through him to the government o the Islamic republic of Iran," Barkindo further said.

He said all OPEC secretary generals should make Iran their first destination not only because Iran is a founding member of the OPEC, but because Iran decided to join other fellow colleagues establishing the organization in Baghdad.
"The first Secretary General was Iranian and he played a leading role in making sure that this organization was established in Baghdad in September 1960."

By SHANA