Several African petroleum and energy ministers met in Vienna this week, including OPEC Members Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville and Angola to join OPEC efforts in stabilizing the market in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

They were joined by additional members of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), forming part of OPEC+ to support the OPEC Resolution and materialize Africa’s support to the Organization’s actions to stabilize global energy markets. 

African petroleum producers also met on the sidelines of the OPEC Meeting to discuss the deepening of the pan-African energy cooperation within APPO. The discussions centered around the conclusion that the APPO headquarters should return to Brazzaville from Abuja following the Republic of Congo’s assurances that it could host the Organization’s dignitaries and provide the environment required for APPO’s functioning and expansion. 

H.E. Jean-Marc Thystere-Tchicaya, Minister of Hydrocarbons of Congo, expressed his satisfaction over the decision, assured all ministerial delegations of Congo’s determination to keep working towards the growth of APPO and committed to host an APPO Heads of States Conference in Congo in June 2020.

As African ministers congratulated the delegation of Congo, all participants agreed on the need to work harder to elevate APPO’s debates and reach to the same level as OPEC’s in order to maximize Africa’s energy cooperation and give the continent a stronger voice on the international stage.