The Russian Energy Minister, Nikolai Shulguinov, said that Russia is willing to sell oil and its derivatives to friendly countries "in any price range", in an interview published today by the newspaper 'Izvestia' and quoted by Lusa.

"We are willing to sell oil and oil products to friendly countries in any price range," Shulguinov said.

The minister said that in principle it is possible that the price of oil will move in the range of $80-150 per barrel.

"But, our task is not to guess how much oil will cost, but to ensure the functioning of the oil sector," he added.

Asked about the exit of foreign companies from Russian oil companies after the start of the "special military operation" in Ukraine, the energy minister replied that "one can speak for the moment of a hypothetical exit."

"We are working with several variants, because companies are not just exiting, they need a buyer," he said.

Shulguinov added that some foreign companies have stated that they will not invest in new projects, but will continue to participate in ongoing projects.

"Our task is to monitor the situation and control the preservation of jobs in the companies," he stressed.