OPEC ministers will gather in the Egyptian capital on Nov. 29 to discuss falling oil prices, which slipped below $55 a barrel on Tuesday, from a record of $147.27 hit in July.
"One of the decisions of the consultation meeting of OPEC in Cairo will be to start negotiations with non-OPEC producers in order to secure their co-operation with OPEC in managing the oil market," Gholamhossein Nozari was quoted as saying.
"Increased interaction between non-OPEC producers and OPEC producers, under the current oil market conditions, is very important," the minister said.
The OPEC source said the group could decide to cut supply while in Cairo, which comes before another OPEC meeting scheduled for Dec. 17 in Algeria.
"The ministers could still make a decision on output or decide to turn the meeting into something else," the source said, referring to the Cairo talks.
The 12 OPEC members produce about 40 percent of the world's oil. They agreed in October to cut supply by 1.5 million bpd starting Nov. 1 but the deal has yet to stem sliding oil prices.
Nozari said increasing output by non-OPEC states would neutralise the impact of any cuts by OPEC.
The minister's comments echoed remarks by other Iranian officials who have called for support from those outside OPEC.
IRNA said Nozari had held telephone talks with Moscow's Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko on Sunday. Russia pumps around 10 percent of world oil. The Iranian minister was quoted as saying: "Russia as a major oil producer and exporter in the world must take part in oil market management."
Leading non-OPEC producer Russia sent a high level delegation to observe OPEC's September meeting in Vienna and the group's secretary-general made a return visit to Moscow in October.
Non-OPEC producers Russia, Mexico and Norway signed a deal, effective from January 2002, to cut output to increase the impact of OPEC supply curbs after the oil price fell below $20 a barrel.
Author: Jo Amey
