During the OPEC heads of state meeting, Saudi Arabia has pledged $300 million for environmental research to combat global warming. However, other leaders have not made similar promises and are unsure of what the proposal entails. Algerian Energy and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil stated that no other countries have committed funds for climate change research at this time. OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri stated that OPEC is willing to contribute to the development of carbon capture and storage technology to help reduce emissions. A draft final communique from OPEC mentioned the group's concern about climate change as a long-term challenge and its goal for stability in global energy markets, but did not address the topic of an environmental fund. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressed his expectation that the summit would confirm a commitment to stable and competitive oil prices. He warned that if the United States were to attack Iran or Venezuela, crude oil prices could potentially double from the current price of around $100 per barrel to $200 on the global market. Chavez made these statements to heads of state, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Concerns that the United States or its ally Israel may launch an attack on Iran, accused by Washington of pursuing nuclear weapons, have contributed to the surge in world oil prices. Despite calls from consumer nations for more oil supply, OPEC ministers have postponed any decision on increasing output until a meeting in Abu Dhabi on December 5. Iran and Venezuela are viewed as holding firm on prices, while Saudi Arabia has typically been more willing to adjust to Western requests to lower prices. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa suggested pricing oil in a currency other than the dollar at the conference. The decrease in value of the U.S. currency compared to other major currencies has contributed to the rise in oil prices to $98.62 last week, while also diminishing the purchasing power of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). During a summit meeting, Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally and influential member of OPEC, led the group in rejecting a proposal by Iran and Venezuela to express concerns about the weakening dollar in the summit's official statement. Analysts suggest that Saudi King Abdullah, known as OPEC's "swing producer" and a reliable supplier of crude oil to the U.S., is determined to prevent leaders like Chavez and Ahmadinejad from overshadowing the summit with anti-U.S. rhetoric. Despite the opulent setting of the summit hall, where Chavez called for OPEC to take a leading role in fighting global poverty, Saudi King Abdullah appeared unimpressed and jokingly told Chavez that his speech was too long. Ahmadinejad stated that OPEC should take a more active role in geopolitics and demand respect for its member countries, while also calling on powerful nations to cease threatening the organization. He mentioned that he would share his thoughts on this matter at the end of the summit. In an attempt to ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Saudi Arabia proposed the creation of a consortium to supply Iran with enriched uranium for peaceful purposes. Despite this, Iran has stated that it will continue its own enrichment program. Concerned about Iran's nuclear potential, Gulf Arab countries, including key OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, have announced plans to develop their own nuclear energy programs.