27 Aug 2009 17:57

Russia invites OPEC representatives to Moscow in fall

MOSCOW. Aug 27 (Interfax) - Russia has invited OPEC representatives to Moscow in the fall, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko told reporters.

"We've proposed a joint seminar in Russia," Shmatko said. OPEC is "clearly keen for this to take place," he said.

Shmatko said he personally had not received a proposal from OPEC to take part in the organization's meeting in Vienna on September 15.

Russia did not send a delegation to an OPEC meeting on May 28, although Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin attended an OPEC meeting in Vienna on March 15. At the meeting, Sechin proposed switching to long-term contracts on oil supplies. Russia also proposed that OPEC draft a memorandum on cooperation between the Russian Energy Ministry that would clearly lay out potential areas for cooperation.

The 12 OPEC members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Venezuela.