Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak held talks on Tuesday with Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi on freezing oil output, the energy ministry’s spokeswoman told Reuters.

The spokeswoman provided no other details. Leading oil producers including Russia and Saudi Arabia are to meet in Qatar on April 17 to discuss an output freeze to support oil prices.

On Tuesday, oil prices rose more than 4 percent after Interfax cited a diplomatic source in Doha as saying that Russia and Saudi Arabia had reached a consensus about freezing oil output. [O/R]

Novak said on Tuesday that any deal signed in Doha, capital of Qatar, this month may speed up the rebalancing of global oil markets by three to six months.

Novak also said he saw oil prices at up to $50 per barrel by year-end and at $60-65 in 2017-2018.