Prime Minister Manele to address OPEC Fund Forum in Austria

By Alfred Pagepitu

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele will travel to Vienna, Austria this month to attend the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund Development Forum where he is expected to deliver a keynote address.

Manele told the local media on Monday that the international forum is an opportunity to share Solomon Islands’ development priorities with global partners.

He said his keynote address will cover a range of sectors including energy, agriculture, education, and digital development.

“I have been invited to deliver a keynote address at this event, which will cover energy, agriculture, education and digital development,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the OPEC Fund for International Development is a development finance institution established in 1976 by the member states of OPEC with a number of purposes.

These purposes are to provide financial development assistance to developing countries by extending concessionary financial assistance in the form of sovereign loans for development projects and programmes and participate in the financing of private sector and trade finance activities in developing countries.

The OPEC Fund Development Forum will bring together global leaders, institutions, and stakeholders to explore solutions for sustainable development in developing countries.

The OPEC Fund Development Forum will take place on 17 June, 2025.

Prior to the forum, Manele will attend the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco from 7-8 June followed by the United Nations 3rd Ocean Conference in Nice, France, from 9-13 June.

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