MINSK, April 5. /TASS/. Belarus switches to Russian rubles in gas settlements starting from April, press service of the Belarusian government reported on Tuesday.

"Starting from April, Belarus switches to Russian rubles in gas payments. Relevant documents were signed today in St. Petersburg by Minister of Energy Viktor Karankevich and Chairman of the Board of Gazprom Alexey Miller," the statement said.

According to the statement, moreover, "the price of natural gas supplied since April 1 has become more profitable than under the agreement that was in force until today".

"Taking into account the agreements, in the very near future the government [of Belarus] will make decisions on reducing the price burden on consumers for natural gas," the statement said.

Earlier, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said that Belarus this year will pay Russia for oil and gas supplies in Russian rubles.

At the end of last year, the Belarusian Energy Ministry announced that a protocol had been signed between Gazprom and the Belarusian government, under which the level of gas prices for the republic for 2022 was agreed at $128.52 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin requested moving payments for gas supplies to unfriendly countries to rubles, saying that Moscow would refuse accepting payments on such contracts in discredited currencies, including dollars and euros. He also tasked the government with giving Gazprom an instruction on amending present contracts. On March 31, Putin signed a decree on the rules of gas trade with unfriendly countries, which stipulates a new system of contract payment.