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Russia ulikely to participate in OPEC summit on June 2 — energy minister

Earlier, Alexander Novak said the talks on crude production freeze between oil-producing nations are not under way now, though Russia is ready to get back to the discussion

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Russia will most likely not participate in the OPEC summit on June 2 in Vienna, the country’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Friday.

"We have never taken part in OPEC meetings so we are unlikely to participate this time either," he said.

Novak also said that Russia intends to maintain contacts with the new energy minister of Saudi Arabia (Khalid Al-Falih - TASS). Particularly, a meeting is planned within the framework of the intergovernmental commission, he added.

"We will meet in any case. I am head of the intergovernmental commission, which will organize another meeting this year. Also, we have a working group format on energy at the commission that will keep working and those contacts will continue," he said.

Earlier Novak said the talks on crude production freeze between oil-producing nations are not under way now, though Russia is ready to get back to the discussion.

On April 17, representatives of 18 oil-producing countries met in Doha (Qatar). Iran refused to discuss the oil production freeze saying it was unwilling to "give up its historic production quota." The participants of the talks failed to reach an agreement on oil production cap. After 12 hours of talks the parties said they needed some more time for consideration. According to Novak, the oil output freeze agreement was not reached as several countries changed their positions. The Energy Minister also said Russia did not expect new initiatives on stabilization of crude oil output before the OPEC summit in June this year.