U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has accepted an award at the Congress (WPC)`>.World Petroleum Congress. hosted by Turkey this year.
Council President Jozsef Toth described Tillerson. who is from Texas. as `a man born with oil in his veins` before presenting him with the Dewhurst Award. named after the founder of the congress.
The former ExxonMobil chief expressed his gratitude and said he misses the oil industry.
`I miss you as colleagues.` Tillerson said. `I miss you as partners. I miss you as competitors. I miss the healthy debates. The collaboration. The breakthroughs that were achieved.`
Tillerson arrived in Istanbul on Sunday after a visit to the Ukraine reaffirming American support. The secretary of state met with Turkey`s foreign minister and is scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later Sunday.
He says the US and strategically located Turkey would collaborate for `greater energy security.`
Tillerson joked that he thought he would be retired. fishing in the mountains. at this point.
`It did not quite work out that way.` he said.