​The Austrian Chancellor welcomed the Secretary General and congratulated him on assuming the office of OPEC Secretary General, conveying his support for his new role as the chief executive of the Organization.  The Chancellor noted that the Secretary General assumes office during a very challenging time for the oil and gas industry, in particular, and for the global economy in general.

​The Chancellor asked the Secretary General about the latest outlook for the oil market, which continues facing challenges on various fronts, and about the future challenges facing the industry, particularly for OPEC and non-OPEC countries.

​The Secretary General elaborated at length on the challenges of the oil and gas industries today, particularly with regards to stability in the oil market, and the close cooperation needed among producers to respond to them.

​The two officials expressed their shared desire for all OPEC and non-OPEC countries to jointly take pro-active measures to maintain stability on a sustainable basis in the interest of both consumer and producer countries.

​The Secretary General also briefed the Chancellor on the launch of the OPEC World Oil Outlook 2016, which was held for the first time outside OPEC Headquarters, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in the United Arab Emirates on 8 November 2016.

​The Chancellor expressed his interest in having closer contact with the Secretary General in the future, and expressed his desire to increase his knowledge of OPEC’s efforts to stabilize the oil market.  To this end, both officials agreed to meet on a regular basis to exchange information.​​