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Belarus, Russia draft agreement on using rubles to pay for energy supplies

The deputy Minister of Energy Vadim Zakrevsky expressed hope using rubles may begin before the year-end

ASTANA, June 11. /TASS/. Russia and Belarus are working on a draft agreement on using Russian ruble in settlements for oil and gas supplies, Belarus's Deputy Minister of Energy Vadim Zakrevsky said on the fringes of the ministerial meeting in Astana, devoted to the energy's sustainable development.

"We do not have a due date for talks, but we have a draft agreement on this (using rubles in settlements - TASS)," he said. "The Russian Federation is working on it now."

The deputy minister expressed hope using rubles may begin before the year-end.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich in an interview with TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum said Moscow and Minsk would reiterate the discussion about using rubles in second half of the year. The parties were to agree on regulations for the united gas market by January 1, 2018.

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