The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, has postponed its 60th anniversary celebration slated for February 26, 2021 in Baghdad, Iraqi, to May 2021.
This was contained in a memo addressed to the entire oil producing delegations. Signed by the Iraqi Minister of Oil, Ihsan Ismaael, the memo said the postponement was in line with the present stiff protocols being applied the world over to stem the tide of the second wave of coronavirus. He noted that the second wave is deadlier than the first.
The Iraqi minister said noted that the celebration has been moved to the second half of May 2021.
He said: “We were hoping to hold this auspicious event on the 26th of February 2021. However after evaluation of the ongoing global uncertainty and challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and findings, we have had from the thorough discussion on the status of covid-19 during the fore mentioned meeting, this pandemic continues its rapid spread across the world resulting in implementing further measures in many parts of the globe to curb the spread of it including extending strict lock downs, travel restrictions, gathering limits, in addition to the fact that most vaccines are expected to get approvals between January and March.”
Ismaeel noted that the entire membership of OPEC is proposing that the celebration should come up in May instead of February.