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Qatar will leave the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in January, announced Monday the country's energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi.
Kaabi said Qatar, the world's largest natural gas exporter, will leave OPEC because it wants to "focus on the gas sector."
"I do not want to go to the meeting and talk about the year's budget (2019), I want to be transparent, I spoke to the Secretary General and told him that we wanted to focus on the gas sector, and I discussed with him our intention to go to "We do not want to surprise members," said Kaabi.
The minister said the decision to leave the OPEC "had nothing to do with the economic blockade" imposed on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since June 2017.
"When a country wants to leave the OPEC must make a request and then, if it is accepted, go out a month ago, "said Kaabi.
Qatar has been holding diplomatic relations since June 2017 fragile with its neighbors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.These four countries accuse Doha of sponsoring terrorism. 007] Qatar, a member of OPEC since 1961, is the world's largest exporter of natural gas, with about 128.645 billion cubic meters a year, according to the organization.
The small emirate, the smallest OPEC country by size and population, has the third largest natural gas reserves in the world, estimated at 23.8 trillion cubic meters.
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