NOVO-OGARYOVO, April 18. /TASS/. Moscow should speed up the shift to foreign trade settlements in rubles and the national currencies of countries that are reliable business partners, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on economic issues on Monday.
The restrictions that unfriendly countries have imposed against the Russian Federation, have influenced the possibilities of domestic businesses, complicated the logistics of export and import supplies, created obstacles for settlements, he noted.
"It is necessary to render the maximum assistance to entrepreneurs in solving those issues, particularly speeding up the shift in foreign trade to payments in rubles and in the national currencies of countries that are reliable business partners," Putin said, adding that in the new conditions "it is necessary to proceed much faster."
Earlier, Russian President signed a decree, which defines a new order of payments for Russian gas supplies for buyers from unfriendly countries starting April 1. Now such countries should transfer funds in foreign currencies to Gazprombank, which will purchase rubles on exchanges and transfer them to special ruble accounts of importers.