Abramchenko: Turkey bought grain for rubles, a similar solution is being developed for Egypt
Turkey has successfully held a deal to pay for grain in rubles, Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko told in an interview with RIA Novosti.
She noted that Russia has not yet systematically moved to settlements in national currencies, but it has already become a trend. Now the Russian Central Bank is negotiating with the central banks of other countries on the mechanism of such mutual settlements, and this applies not only to food supplies.
“As a recent example, I can give just a deal with Turkey on food supplies, when payments were made in rubles. The first swallow was successful. Yes, Egypt is our largest, and we are also beginning to work on such a transition”, – said Abramchenko.
According to her, now the most popular are grain and fat and oil products.
“We don’t sell the latter for rubles, but we are working on it.
In the future, not only Gazprombank, but Rosselkhozbank will be involved in such transactions, the agency’s representative noted.
The official added: “And even in the context of contacts, which are being conducted within the framework of the UN grain deal, the package solution, which should be implemented in the interests of the Russian Federation, this is one of the conditions – the return of Rosselkhozbank to the international settlements,” – she explained.
In December Abramchenko said that the first ruble deal with Turkey was held in autumn and the experiment was a success.
In May, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev said that the agency would discuss with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa the possibility of switching to ruble settlements for supplies at grain tenders, as well as revising the settlement mechanism to exclude European banks from it.
