International Relations
OAPEC endeavors to strengthen its contacts and ties institutions outside the Arab world so as to present an Arab perspective on energy and development problems. It explores possibilities of cooperation among its members, and net oil importing industrialized and developing countries. The Organization also fosters contacts that facilitate access to new scientific and technological developments in the field of energy.
OAPEC maintain its international contacts through the following channels: Specialized scientific seminars organized in conjunction with similar institutions, particularly those concerned with regional and international energy affairs, as well as universities.
These activities include:
Participation in the international conferences related to energy and development issues such as the World Energy Congress and the World Gas Conference.
OAPEC also maintains cooperation with several international institutions operating in the field of energy, including the International Petroleum, the Institute Francais du Petrol (IFP), British Petroleum (BP), TNO Institute of Applied Geo-Science of Netherlands, the Energy Directorate of European Commission, the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) and World Energy Council (WEC).
The Organization’s ties with universities include its regular attendance of the Oxford Energy Seminar, which has been held at Oxford University since September 1979. The seminar is an annual forum for the scientific discussion of energy issues. It sponsored by OAPEC, OPEC, and St. Catherin’s College of Oxford University. One of the principal goals of this seminar is to foster closer ties between the participants, who represent oil exporting and importing countries.
The Organization is a founding member of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES), which was established in November 16,1982, with the cooperation of OPEC. The institute is affiliated with Oxford University and specializes in the study of economic, social, and political aspects of energy problems, with particular emphasis on the needs of developing countries, including oil exporters.