Algerian, Venezuelan Energy Ministers to Meet Russian Counterpart Monday

Algerian and Venezuelan energy ministers will come to Moscow this Monday for talks with Russia’s energy chief Alexander Novak, the Algerian Energy Ministry told Sputnik on Sunday.

ALGIERS (Sputnik) — The meeting will take place ahead of crucial OPEC talks in Vienna, Austria on Wednesday for talks on an oil output freeze. Experts from participating countries are also due to meet in Vienna for consultations on Monday.

Algerian Energy Minister Noureddine Bouterfa and Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino will meet one-on-one in Algeria’s capital Algiers on Monday before flying to Russia later that day for trilateral talks with Novak.

The ministers will discuss outlooks for concluding a deal on oil production curbs that was reached in Algeria in late September. The OPEC agreed to set the oil output ceiling at 32.5-33 million barrels a day for its members in the hope that other oil producers would follow suit.

Earlier in November, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country’s energy companies were ready to freeze oil output at the current level, adding they did not expect the curbs to hurt national economy.