LUANDA: The OPEC cartel of oil producing countries expects to keep output unchanged when it meets in Luanda next week, Angolan Oil Minister Jose Botelho de Vasconcelos said on Friday.

Angola currently holds the presidency of the 12-member group.

"We will keep with the decisions that we have taken in the past on production quotas and leave our goals unchanged," Vaconcelos told Radio Ecclesia about the OPEC meeting set for Tuesday.

"If by then the prices are stable at between 75 and 80 dollars, it is likely that the situation will remain as it is," he was also quoted as saying by Angolan business magazine Exame.

Arab OPEC members led by Saudi Arabia agreed on December 5 to maintain currnet production quotas.

According to the International Energy Agency current production of OPEC minus Iraq stands at 26.48 million barrels per day, about 1.64 million higher than the official quota.

Angola joined OPEC in 2007.