US monitors OPEC plus negotiations, supports oil output increase

WASHINGTON, Jul 7 (PRIME) -- Washington is has had a series of negotiations with the key members of the OPEC+ alliance, and supports the decision to raise oil production, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a news briefing on Tuesday.

“We are closely monitoring the OPEC+ negotiations and their impact on the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As you noted … we’re not a party to these talks, but, over the weekend and into this week, we’ve had a number of high-level conversations with officials in Saudi Arabia, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), and other relevant partners,” she said.

The U.S. is encouraged by the OPEC negotiation on reaching an agreement that will improve access to affordable energy. It has a direct impact on prices, and that is why Washington is greatly interested in that, she said.

“The president wants Americans to have access to affordable and reliable energy, including at the pump. And so that’s why our team is constantly monitoring gas prices and directly communicating with OPEC parties to get to a deal and allow proposed production increases to move forward,” Psaki said.

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