OPEC’s El-Badri hopes for positive oil producer meeting in April

VIENNA/MOSCOW, Mar 22 (PRIME) -- OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri said late Monday he hoped the meeting of oil producing countries in Doha on April 17 will be successful.

OPEC cannot freeze oil output alone, non-OPEC states should join the decision, El-Badri said. He also said it was necessary to agree on oil output freeze at first before discussing reduction of oil production.

In February, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Venezuela agreed to freeze 2016 oil output at the January level if other oil producers join the initiative. Ecuador, Algeria, Nigeria, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries which expressed readiness to join the initiative.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said recently that around 15 countries, including Iran, preliminary confirmed their participation in the oil meeting in Doha.

A representative of the Energy Ministry told PRIME that Qatar had sent invitation to Russia to participate in the meeting and the document is slated to arrive in the next few days.

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