OPEC Denies Inviting Guyana to Join Organization

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) denied the validity of media reports that the organization had invited Guyana to join its membership.

OPEC said in a statement Wednesday, that while it recognizes that Guyana is an emerging player in the global oil market with great potential, OPEC did not invite Guyana to join the organization.

The organization's statement indicated that it had invited Guyana's Minister of Natural Resources, Vikram Bharat, to participate in the eighth international "OPEC" symposium, to be held from 5 to 6 July at the historic Hofburg Palace in the center of the Austrian capital, Vienna.

The statement said that "OPEC" will continue to communicate with other producers and consumers to build more bridges of dialogue and cooperation in the interest of the stability of the oil market.

It pointed out that the invitation was also extended to a wide range of producing countries inside and outside the organization, in addition to representatives of oil consuming countries, intergovernmental organizations, oil and energy companies, academics and oil industry experts.