ASTANA, April 23 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan will prioritise national interests over those of the OPEC+ group when deciding on oil production levels, the country's newly appointed Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov told Reuters ratcheting up the standoff with the group.

Several other members of the OPEC+ group, including top producer Saudi Arabia, have been angered by Kazakhstan's rising output, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters last month.

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The minister also said the country was not able to reduce oil production at its three large oil-producing projects, as they are controlled by foreign majors.

"To act in accordance with national interests. This is a broad formulation, but it completely covers the entire situation that we have now. Act only in accordance with national interests," the minister said.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kazakhstan-says-oil-output-levels-decided-by-national-interest-not-opec-2025-04-23/