Mohammad Hossein Adeli

Adeli’s diplomatic career progressed through his appointment as Iranian Ambassador to Canada in 1995. At the end of his term in 1999, Adeli was nominated as Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs and the chairman of the Coordinating Council for Foreign Economic Relations until 2004. During these years, Adeli initiated two special committees for Reconstruction of Afghanistan and Reconstruction of Iraq through a series of multilateral arrangements, and filled the role of secretary general for both committees.

Having served in the ministry of Oil as the Minister’s international advisor,he has been the advocate and chief negotiator of many energy plans and projects of which the following can be highlighted:

After leaving the government, Adeli founded the Ravand Institute for Economic and International Studies, Iran’s first private non-governmental, non-partisan research centre (think-thank). He is the founder of Ravand Institute.

Adeli has also received special recognition for various activities including: spearheading monetary reforms as Central Bank Governor; innovation of a new Islamic banking financial instrument called "Participation Paper", now widely used in Iran and other Islamic countries under the name of Sukuk; initiating the law for Official Development Assistance of Iran which aims to contribute to the development of least developing countries; initiating Economic Diplomacy for the first time in Iran; initiating Economic partnership with Africa through Iran–Africa economic summit; being head of Coordination for assistance to Iraqi reconstruction, and Coordination for assisting Afghanistan reconstruction through international organization. He has been a frequent guest speaker at many international conferences, including OPEC, South-South Cooperation, United Nations, World Economic Forum, Islamic Banking and Finance, World Bank, International Trade Centre and International Monetary Fund as well as major investment banks such as Goldman Sachs.

Adeli has also been active in regional and international groups and organisations, including the D-8, the G15, the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation and the European Union. He has received many awards including a distinction by the Economic Cooperation Organization Secretary General for "Special Recognition and Appreciation" for his contribution and proposition of the name ECO. He also won the Crans-Montana Development and Peace Award in 2002 in Geneva.

Adeli’s diplomatic career began with his appointment as Iran’s Ambassador to Japan between 1986 and 1989, during which he played a key role in revitalising Iranian and Japanese business/political relations. While he was in office, Hirohito, the 124th Emperor of Japan who ruled for over 60 years died on January 7, 1989, and his imperial funeral was held on the next month. On February 24, Adeli and his wife attended the Rites of Imperial Funeral with Mostafa Mir-Salim, Vice President and Hossein Saffar Harandi, a Member of Parliament and the Chairman of Parliament Committee on Agriculture.

Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli (Persian: سید محمدحسین عادلی ‎, born in 1953 in Ahvaz) is an Iranian politician, diplomat, economist and academic. He is currently serving his second term as the Secretary General of Gas Exporting Countries Forum. He is the founder of Ravand Institute. He was the chairman of Iran's first Investment Bank Amin Investment Bank until 2011. In May 2014, he received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan, Akihito, the highest Order given to any Iranian National for his important role in the Iran–Japan Relation.