Saudi Arabia’s oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, held separate meetings with officials from Russia and Algeria on 11 February, according to Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA.

The chairman of Russia’s state-controlled energy company Gazprom, Viktor Zubkov and the Algerian Justice Minister Tayeb Louh discussed cooperation between Opec and non-Opec nations in their respective meetings with Al-Naimi.

Opportunities for Saudi-Russian energy projects were also discussed.

The latest meetings come after the General Secretary of Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (Oapec), Abbas al-Naqi, called for increasing dialogue between oil producing nations.

The Opec basket price for a barrel of crude fell from more than $100 in June 2014 to below $43 in January 2015.

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