Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister announced the possibility of continuing cooperation with the OPEC-Plus coalition.

According to Reuters, Alexander Novak said on Thursday (June 16) after an unexpected meeting on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum with Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman that Russia could continue to cooperate within the framework of the OPEC Plus oil production agreement after 2022.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who was not on his official agenda, made a surprise appearance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, while many guests did not attend.

The event comes at a time when many buyers are refusing to import Russian oil because of Western sanctions, and Russia is offering less oil than it currently has on its OPEC Plus quota.

An OPEC Plus document on Thursday showed that Russia’s crude oil production reached 9.273 million barrels in May, up from 9.159 million barrels a day in April.

Russia’s deputy prime minister has promised that next month, India and China will increase their crude supply due to high demand for Russian crude oil.

However, Russia last month produced 1.2 million barrels per day less than its quota of 10.550 million barrels per day.

The meeting between Abdul Aziz bin Salman and Nawak lasted more than an hour. Asked if OPEC Plus partners were complaining about a shortfall in Russian production, Novak told reporters after the meeting: “We see the current state of the global oil market as balanced despite the uncertainties.

Novak said Russia could continue to work with the OPEC-Plus coalition even after the end of the current agreement at the end of this year.

“Everything depends on the market situation and whether each country needs a quota to participate in the OPEC and non-OPEC cooperation charter will be determined by the end of this year,” he said.

Abdul Aziz bin Musliman, despite refraining from commenting, described Russian-Saudi relations as well as the climate in Riyadh.