Baghdad-INA
Iraq participated in the opening session of the OPEC International Development Forum, held in Vienna, Austria, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Fund's establishment.
Iraq's Governor to the OPEC Fund for International Development and Chairman of the Iraqi Fund for External Development, Dhafer Mahdi, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Iraq is one of the founding members of the OPEC Fund and plays a pivotal role in cooperation with its counterparts and partners in this development institution."
Mahdi added that "the participation also comes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fund's establishment, given Iraq's historical position within it," noting that "tomorrow, Wednesday, will witness an important meeting of the Board of Governors and the Ministerial Council of the Fund."
For his part, the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Austria, Hisham Al-Alawi, confirmed to INA that "the Iraqi delegation attended the opening session and the first session of the Forum, which was held at the historic Hofburg Palace in Vienna."
Al-Alawi explained that “the International Development Fund was established in 1976, while OPEC was established in 1960,” indicating that “Iraq, as a founding member of the organization and the fund, has made significant and pivotal contributions to support international development efforts over the past five decades.”