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IEF Announces New Division Directors for Energy Dialogue & International Relations

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - 26 October 2020: International Energy Forum (IEF) Secretary General Joseph McMonigle today announced the appointments of Christof van Agt as the new Director of Energy Dialogue and Lina Murad as the new Head of International Relations and Division Director of External Affairs.

"I am pleased to announce the promotions of two dedicated IEF staff in Lina Murad and Christof van Agt as new leaders and division directors at the IEF Secretariat," Secretary General McMonigle said.

"The IEF is the world's largest energy organisation with over 70 member countries. We are modernising and restructuring the IEF to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic as well as our ongoing mission of energy security and market stability. Lina and Christof will be key members of our leadership team as the IEF evolves and expands into a modern, active, and relevant organisation that adds value to energy dialogue and meets the rapidly evolving needs of our member countries," Secretary General McMonigle said.

As Director of Energy Dialogue, Christof van Agt will lead IEF programs that advance producer-consumer country energy dialogue and collaboration through IEF ministerial fora, and stakeholder meetings with partner organisations and other government platforms such as the G20. His work at the IEF includes coordination of the trilateral work programme with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as collaboration on energy security, market transparency, and orderly and inclusive transitions with other institutions, industry stakeholders, national agencies, and research centers. Until his promotion, van Agt was a Senior Energy Analyst in the Energy Dialogue Division.

Prior to joining the IEF, van Agt was a Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael International Energy Programme with the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael where he published and trained international relations and energy market dynamics to diplomats, and private sector trainees.

Other previous assignments include: International Energy Agency (IEA) as Programme Manager for the Caspian region, Energy Charter Secretariat negotiating international energy frameworks, and the European Commission External Relations Directorate on technical assistance in the energy sector of Central and Eastern European Studies. His 28-year association with energy and international relations began with a placement at the Institute for International Energy Law of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands 1992 where he studied Russian and multidisciplinary studies on Eastern Europe.

Lina Murad will now be a Division Director and Head of International Relations after previously serving as a Government and International Relations Officer at the IEF. Ms. Murad is also the acting Director of Administration.

In her new role, Ms. Murad manages the Secretary General's office. She will lead all external affairs of the IEF including with Governments and Member Countries, Executive Board, other international organisations, private sector and other key stakeholders of the IEF. She serves as the main point of contact for all ministerial meetings and high-level events as well as the lead contact for relations with IEF host government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ms. Murad was one of the first staff members of the IEF Secretariat after working at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as several diplomatic missions based in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

She studied political science and is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

About the IEF

The IEF is the world's largest international organisation of Energy Ministers from 70 countries and includes both producing and consuming nations. It is truly the global home of energy dialogue that promotes energy security, market stability, and energy transitions.

Originally founded 30 years ago as a forum to facilitate dialogue between member producing and consuming countries from OPEC and IEA, the IEF now has more member countries that those two organizations combined and from all regions of the world. Notably, the IEF has several large non-aligned countries including China, Russia, India, South Africa and Argentina.

The Forum's biennial Ministerial Meetings are the biggest global gatherings of Energy Ministers. The IEF16 Ministerial was held in 2018 in New Delhi. The next IEF17 Ministerial will be held in the second half of 2021 in Saudi Arabia.

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