Russian President Vladimir Putin says he sees no obstacles to OPEC reaching an agreement later this month, and Russia is willing to freeze its crude oil output at current levels as he thinks that oil exporters have overcome major differences in their positions.

“Whether an agreement will be reached, I cannot say for one hundred percent, but there is a strong likelihood that it will be achieved,” Putin told reporters after he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima. “Main contradictions within OPEC if not yet eliminated, they can be eliminated,” Bloomberg cited him as saying.

“There is no difficulty for us to freeze production” at current levels, Putin repeated Russia’s position on Sunday.

Putin also told about his conversation with the US President Barack Obama. "We agreed that – despite the fact that our dialogue wasn’t always smooth and we had difficulties working together – both President Obama and I pointed out we have always respected each other’s position," Sputnik cited Putin as saying.

"I thanked him for years of working together and told him I would be glad to see him in Russia whenever he could, if he wanted to," the Russian president added.