Iran seeks support of non-OPEC oil-rich countries to curb prices

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 10 / Trend F.Milad / Iranian former oil minister has said that the country seeks the cooperation of non-OPEC oil-rich countries, such as Russia, Mexico, Brazil and Norway to stabilize oil prices. Gholam-Hossein Nozari, who has been nominated by Iran for the OPEC secretary general post, said that Iran will follow this issue as a key policy, if the country is selected as the secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, according to the Mehr News Agency. Iran's OPEC Governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi has said that some member states, particularly Saudi Arabia, are violating the oil quota of the petroleum producing organization "Saudi Arabia and its two allies (Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates) are the biggest violators of the OPEC (quota)," Khatibi said on Saturday. The Iranian official blamed these countries for the drop in oil prices by over-pumping. "It is not right that two or three countries compensate for a country that is targeted by sanctions... OPEC members should not work against each other," Khatibi added. Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi has sent a letter of complaint to the OPEC Secretariat to protest the move by the three Arab countries.