MOSCOW. Sept 14 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia has agreed with some buyers of weapons and military hardware on using national currencies for payments, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov has told the press.
"Some contracts have shifted to national currencies. I cannot tell you when all payments will be made in national currencies," Borisov said.
"Indeed, the FSMTC and Rosoboronexport are actively at work. In fact, key buyers of our hardware have a sober view on the issue. Why have dollar contracts with Iraq or China? This is totally unnecessary," he said.
The activity has started under the influence of sanctions imposed by the United States and backed up with European countries, Borisov said.
"This is actually a problem, but it is solvable. We can start using national currencies for payments. [...] We are interested in all currencies that have actual market liquidity and can be converted into rubles: euros, Swiss francs, pounds, or rupees. There are other possibilities than the dollar," he said.