OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said he was impressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deep understanding of the global oil market and OPEC+ cooperation, after meeting him for the first time at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Al Ghais said Putin demonstrated a firm grasp of both the short- and long-term fundamentals of the oil market, as well as the intricacies of the OPEC+ partnership.
“It was an honor to meet President Putin for the first time in St. Petersburg,” Al Ghais said. “We had a very good discussion. The president is very well informed about the details of our cooperation, and about the fundamental market factors — not just short-term, but also long-term.”
Al Ghais also noted that Putin spoke respectfully about OPEC’s own long-term market forecasts. “I was very impressed, and I was pleased to hear that President Putin is familiar with some of the details of our projections,” he added.
According to Al Ghais, Putin invited him to attend Russian Energy Week, which is scheduled for October 2025 in Moscow. “I plan to attend,” the OPEC chief said. “Our cooperation with Russia grows stronger year by year. Russia is a key partner in the OPEC+ agreement, and we enjoy excellent relations with [Russian Deputy Prime Minister] Alexander Novak. I call him my Russian brother.”
The 9th OPEC International Seminar took place in Vienna on July 9–10, with TASS as the event’s official media partner.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS