Azerbaijan, Baku, Apr.20/ Trend F.Karimov/
Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said Iran is resolved to gain the post of secretary general at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, IRIB reported.
As Saudi Arabia and Ecuador nominees have withdrawn from competing for the position, Iran and Iraq are now the two members who have the chance to win the post, he noted.
In October 2012, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said all the necessary measures will be taken to support ex-oil minister Gholamhossein Nozari to win the secretary general post in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The Shana News Agency quoted him as saying that Iran is a founding member as well as an influential member of the organization, and it is natural for it to win the post.
The OPEC's current Libyan secretary general, Abdallah el-Badri, has been in the position for two terms since 2007. Although Iran is the OPEC's second major producer, the only Iranian secretary general has been Mr Foad Rohani, who held the post between 1961 and 1964. Iran has attempted several times to take the OPEC general secretary post during last 30 years by nominating Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian and Hossein Kazemi Ardabili, but could not succeed.
Iran announced in June 2012 that it will introduce a nominee for the post of secretary general of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), but a day later Iraqi deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said Iran will support Samir Ghazban, the Iraqi nominee for the position.
OPEC's current secretary-general, Abdalla el-Badri of Libya, will complete his second three-year term at the end of this year. OPEC ministers will probably consider the nominations at their June 14 meeting at the organization's Vienna headquarters.
OPEC's members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.