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OPEC seems unwilling to boost oil production

OPEC is unlikely to increase oil production when it next meets in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 19, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday.

"Everything points to OPEC not increasing production," Chavez said at a press conference before leaving for the Earth Summit in Johannesburg. "I am sure that that is the opinion of most [OPEC member] countries."

Chavez had already said that Venezuela would not be increasing production levels in the near future. "We are not willing to increase or to cut [production] at the next meeting," Chavez said.

But he acknowledged that certain countries belonging to OPEC -- without mentioning them by name -- had requested a hike in production for internal reasons. Chavez said that the proposal had already been rejected and that, according to the information he had, would not even be raised at next month's meeting.

"It had been proposed to include it in the meeting in Japan but it's not even going to be discussed. It remains pending. That is the information I have until now," he said.

Oil prices have climbed to their highest levels for over a year in New York and for five months in London ";

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