Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have expressed concern over the close ties between Riyadh and Moscow, while the Organization is considering cutting production to stop the deterioration of oil prices.

Delegates from many member states, including Venezuela, Algeria, Kuwait and Nigeria, have expressed growing concern over Saudi Arabia giving Russia much influence over oil prices, noting that their organization's plans to raise prices may be more likely, the Wall Street Journal reported in a report to WTO officials in Vienna. Will not succeed if Moscow does not find support.

Marginalization
"It is not fair that the two countries decide prices alone. There are entire peoples who rely on oil for their lives," an OPEC official told the paper.

The relationship between Moscow, which leads oil countries outside OPEC, and Riyadh, which leads the OPEC countries have helped producers to increase prices by agreeing to a significant reduction in production.

Russia and OPEC by the group
OPEC is due to discuss production cuts on Thursday after prices have fallen 30 percent since October, but the most important meeting, according to Royal Bank of Canada's commodities strategy director Halima Croft, will be held on Friday when OPEC meets Russia. Given the crucial role of Moscow in the success or failure of any decision by the Organization to increase or reduce production.

Some OPEC members have doubts about a deal on output cuts, with Iran's representative Hossein Kazempour saying he did not think Opec would agree to the cut, despite its delegates' recommendation last week to cut 1.3 million bpd.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Faleh and his UAE counterpart Suhail al-Mazroui declined to comment on the size of the cut, although their advisers supported OPEC's plan, it added.

The newspaper quoted another delegate to one of the member states of the organization as saying that it is all about politics rather than the interests of Member States, adding that Riyadh wants to rapprochement with Moscow for new friendships after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Officials say the alliances behind the scenes support US President Donald Trump's attempts to break up OPEC. We are starting from market information, but today we are doing, to some extent, what the American president wants, we are here now because of Saudi Arabia, it's a situation that does not please any of us, "said a Gulf delegate.