According to the official media Angolan Daily on Thursday (December 21), Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, announced that the country would withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on the same day. Angola's withdrawal will reduce the number of OPEC member states to 12, as the organization previously struggled to support international oil prices under the leadership of Saudi Arabia. Previously, it was reported that the Angolan minister refused to lower OPEC's oil production quota for next year and stated plans to break this restriction.