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Kremlin confirms Russia’s plans to expand use of rubles in foreign trade

Last month, the Russian president ordered that unfriendly states must pay for Russian gas in rubles

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. The Russian authorities will work to expand the use of the national currency in settlements for exports, but it is too early to set deadlines for switching to ruble payments for any group of goods, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow plans to significantly increase the share of payments in national currency in foreign trade.

When asked whether the system of payment in rubles will cover oil and coal in the future, Peskov replied:

"Now, it would be wrong to give exact dates for any groups of goods and to say when it is possible to switch to the use of national currencies. This is quite a difficult job."

"But the President's concept is absolutely obvious," he added.

Peskov confirmed that the relevant work would be intensified for all goods in accordance with the instruction of the head of state.

Last month, President Vladimir Putin ordered that unfriendly states must pay for Russian gas in rubles. He ordered the government to instruct Gazprom to make the necessary changes to the existing contracts. On March 31, Putin signed a decree that lays out a new procedure for paying for Russian gas supplies by buyers from unfriendly countries.

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