Iran, West to resolve nuclear standoff through dialogue: OPEC

The Middle East is currently entangled with too many conflicts to confront, Abdallah Salem el-Badri told the website of the Berlin-based German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), IRNA reported on Saturday.

Therefore the impasse over Iran’s nuclear program has to be resolved as soon as possible, he argued.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Badri, who was in Berlin on Friday, also briefed the DGAP on OPEC's views regarding global energy markets.

He said there was no shortage on the global market, and predicted that international energy demand would increase by more than 50 percent by
2035.

The OPEC chief said the uncertain economic situation in the world remained a challenge to the Vienna-based organization. He cited the economic crisis in Europe and US as well as the slowdown in China's economic growth as part of OPEC's major concerns.