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FM Spindelegger at the opening of the new OPEC headquarters in Vienna |
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 Spindelegger: "New and innovative incentives for the work of OPEC"
Official opening of new OPEC building in Vienna
Vienna, 17 March 2010 – “Ensuring a balance of interests between producer and consumer countries, OPEC is a key interlocutor in the  international energy dialogue, making an essential contribution to the energy security of households and business consumers alike. This new building with its state-of-the-art infrastructure and conference facilities will enable OPEC to play a still more effective role within the global energy network. These new premises are also a visible expression of our vigorous support for your work,” stated Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger at the formal opening ceremony of the new headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries – OPEC - on Wipplingerstrasse, an event which was attended by all the energy ministers of OPEC’s twelve Member Countries.
“Over the recent decades Vienna has become an international hub of expertise and forward-looking co-operation in energy issues. The eight Vienna-based organisations, whose work relates to energy, are jointly working on urgently required solutions to the consequences of climate change,” affirmed the Foreign Minister, referring not only to OPEC and the OPEC Fund for International Development, but also to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Energy Community of South-East Europe, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), and the future liaison office of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The formal opening ceremony also marks the onset of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of OPEC, which has been based in Vienna since 1965. “This building ensures that the OPEC Secretariat will remain in Vienna for a long time to come. I wish all OPEC employees - some 150 people - that the new environment will generate fresh and innovative incentives for their work,” concluded Spindelegger.
Contact:
Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs
Press Department
Tel.: ++43 (0) 50 1150-3262, 4549, 4550
Fax: ++43 (0) 50 1159-213
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