Venezuela, Algeria to defend oil prices: Venezuela minister

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria and Venezuela will join forces to defend crude oil prices, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Rafael Ramirez said in remarks broadcast on Thursday, ahead of an OPEC meeting later this month. "We talked about the international oil market and reaffirmed our position to defend oil prices," Ramirez said after a meeting with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika late on Wednesday. There was a "convergence of views", he said in his remarks broadcast on Algerian state radio on Thursday. "Venezuela and Algeria have an increased cooperation in the oil sector," he said. Ramirez visited Algeria as part of a diplomatic tour that includes Iran, Qatar and Russia to discuss oil markets.