Saudi Arabia, Oman Discuss Oil Markets

A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
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Saudi Arabia, Oman Discuss Oil Markets

A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman discussed on Monday with his Omani counterpart Dr. Mohammed al-Rumhi coordination within OPEC + and their vision on oil market developments.

While oil prices are witnessing fluctuations as a result of the uncertainty in global economy, the Kingdom is seeking to secure global supplies to match the volume of global demand, leading to the stability of oil markets.

The ministers discussed means of boosting cooperation in various energy fields, including renewable energy, the circular carbon economy and sustainability, the Saudi Energy Ministry tweeted.

This comes in line with the close bilateral cooperation ties in all fields, especially the economic field, it added.

On January 4, OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to stick to its planned increase in oil output for February because it expects the Omicron coronavirus variant to have a short-lived impact on global energy demand.

The OPEC+ agreement allowed for a 400,000 bpd production increase in December from all members, of which about 253,000 bpd is shared by the 10 OPEC members participating in the deal.

Oman is a crude oil producing country and an OPEC+ member, with an average actual production of 1.1 million barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia is a large oil producer with an average daily production of 11 million barrels. It is the world’s third largest producer after Russia and the United States, and the largest oil exporter with an average of 7.4 million barrels per day.

The volume of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Oman amounted to $3.36 billion in 2020, while the value of Saudi non-oil exports to Oman reached $1016 billion, according to official media.



ECB's Lagarde Rejects 'Political Pressure' after Italy Seeks Bigger Rate Cuts

President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde attends a press conference following an informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and central bank heads of EU countries in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)
President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde attends a press conference following an informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and central bank heads of EU countries in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)
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ECB's Lagarde Rejects 'Political Pressure' after Italy Seeks Bigger Rate Cuts

President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde attends a press conference following an informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and central bank heads of EU countries in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)
President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde attends a press conference following an informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and central bank heads of EU countries in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)

The European Central Bank (ECB) is an independent institution not subject to any political pressure, its President Christine Lagarde said on Friday, rebuffing Italian calls for bigger interest rate cuts.

Two Italian government ministers had criticized the ECB on Thursday as the Frankfurt-based euro zone central bank cut its deposit rate by 25 basis points to 3.50%, and accused it of a lack of courage.

"The European Central Bank is an independent institution, it's very clearly stated in the treaties," Lagarde said at an informal meeting of EU economy ministers in Budapest.
"We are not subject to political pressure of any sort," she added, according to Reuters.
Italy, with the highest borrowing costs in the euro zone and the bloc's second highest public debt as a proportion of national output, has much to gain from a steep fall in ECB rates.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, one of the members of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government who spoke out against the ECB, also called for the bank's founding treaty to be reformed.
"Today the European Central Bank is only concerned with fighting inflation, (but) it is not enough, we need a central bank that can manage the currency to promote growth," Tajani said.
Speaking on Thursday, Lagarde suggested to reporters that the bar for another cut next month was relatively high, highlighting that policymakers would be unlikely to have enough data to determine whether further easing was appropriate.