MINSK, June 26. /TASS/. Russia and Belarus will make more active use of their national currencies in their mutual settlements to get rid of discredited currencies, speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper parliament house, Valentina Matviyenko said on Sunday.
"It is reflected in our union programs. The Russian and Belarusian government are already working on it. This topic has become ever more topical after the West demonstrated its intention to use financial institutes and instruments to contain the development of our countries and when the key currencies used in mutual settlements - the dollar and the euro - have discredited themselves," she said in an interview with Belarus’ STV television channel.
"Russia’s reserves have been frozen extrajudicially. Accounts of Russian and Belarusian nationals are being frozen on ethnic grounds," she said. "It is discrimination. It is genocide. When it is done purely on ethnic grounds, without any serious reasons."
"Naturally, such discreditation of these currencies will force us to accelerate the movement toward making settlements in national currencies, toward getting rid of non-reliable currencies," Matviyenko stressed. "In general, Russia, Belarus and other countries are making more payments in national currencies. But this movement should be smooth, gradual not to harm."
"As for Russia and Belarus, I think we have the best perspectives here. And we can really demonstrate the world what a safe financial harbor means. Because it is a necessity and a most important task to ensure financial security of our countries," she added.