IEA (International Energy Agency) chief economist Fatih Birol 28 said today the current of about 85 U.S. dollars a barrel on world oil prices is hurting developing countries, and limit their growth.

His energy and climate change at the United Nations Conference on the sidelines that year if oil prices remain at 80 to 85 U.S. dollars per barrel in 2010, it will be equivalent to 4.5% of GDP in less developed countries.

This will be the price of oil accounts for less developed countries, the highest proportion of GDP. Over the past 40 years, when these national efforts to develop, the oil price of USD 30 a barrel, only 1% of GDP each year.

Birol said that about 15 billion people, or for 22% of the global population, lack of access to electricity, high oil prices will damage efforts to reduce the number. Oil prices on poor countries and its trade balance is too high.

He said that high oil prices will damage long-term oil-producing countries, to encourage efficiency by allowing expensive alternative energy resources. Very high oil prices on oil is not a good thing. They deliver strong signals to look for alternative sources of energy.

OPEC said that about 80 U.S. dollars a barrel, the price is acceptable, because it needed to stimulate investment in future supply, but no damage to the global economy.

Birol declined to comment on what he sees as an appropriate global oil prices