Russia's Sechin raises pressure on Putin to end OPEC deal
Source: Reuters
BUSINESS NEWS FEBRUARY 8, 2019 / 10:57 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Exclusive: Russia's Sechin raises pressure on Putin to end OPEC deal
Darya Korsunskaya, Olesya Astakhova
5 MIN READ
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Igor Sechin, head of Russian oil giant Rosneft and one of Vladimir Putins closest allies, has written to the Russian president saying Moscows deal with OPEC to cut oil output is a strategic threat and plays into the hands of the United States.
The letter did not say whether the agreement in place since 2017 between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other large oil producers led by Russia to cut output should be extended or not.
But according to two well-placed industry sources, the letter was a clear signal to other senior Russian officials involved in energy policy that Sechin wants the deal to come to an end.
There is no guarantee Putin will back Sechins view because the president sees the pact with OPEC as part of a much bigger puzzle involving dialogue with OPECs leader Saudi Arabia over Syria and other geopolitical issues.
The letter is a threat to the deal extension. But anyway, Putin is the ultimate decision maker, one of the sources said.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-opec-russia-rosneft-exclusive/exclusive-russias-sechin-raises-pressure-on-putin-to-end-opec-deal-idUSKCN1PX1R7