The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its crude-producing allies, OPEC+, agreed to maintain their production plan, despite calls from other countries to increase output to cool global energy markets. At the ministerial meeting Thursday, via videoconference, officials reaffirmed their commitment to continuing their program to gradually raise crude production by 400,000 barrels per day each month. The 13-member cartel plans to phase out the rest of the production cuts instituted last year in response to the public health crisis and collapsing demand. “The meeting reaffirmed the continued commitment of the Participating Countries in the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) to ensure a stable and a balanced oil market, the efficient and secure supply to consumers and to provide clarity to the market at times when other parts of the energy complex outside the boundaries of oil markets are experiencing extreme volatility and instability, and to continue to adopt …