Venezuela says no need for Opec meeting despite Libya

Venezuela's Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said there was no need for an emergency Opec meeting despite military attacks by Western nations on fellow member Libya, state media said on Monday. "No, there is no sense to it," Ramirez was quoted as telling the South American country's state news agency AVN.
"The Arab League has established its position and, in that sense, we do not see the need for anything like that (an emergency Opec meeting)," he said, speaking late on Sunday.
The Arab League had called on the United Nations Security Council to enforce a no-fly zone over the North African country to prevent Muammar Gaddafi's forces from attacking civilians. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, an ally of Gaddafi, has denounced the military intervention by Western powers and said it was a ploy to steal Libya's oil. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday the UN resolution authorising military action in Libya resembled "medieval calls for crusades" after Western forces launched a second wave of air strikes.