The Russian Energy Ministry will not send delegates for consultations or attend the OPEC meeting this week as an observer, the ministry’s press service told Reuters on Monday.
Instead, the ministry expects an experts-level meeting with OPEC in mid-December, meaning the Russian energy minister will not attend.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will convene on Dec. 4 in Vienna.
A year ago, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Russia’s most influential energy official, Rosneft head Igor Sechin, attended consultations before OPEC held talks.