Prakapovich proposes to stop using dollars

The deputy prime minister thinks Belarus and Russia should get rid of the “dollar addiction”.

International sanctions give a signal to Russia and Belarus to stop using dollars in mutual payments, BelTA cites Belarusian deputy prime minister Piotr Prakapovich as saying to journalists today.

Piotr Prakapovich noted Belarus and Russia could expand the use of their national currencies in the current conditions.

“The sanctions are a signal to us that shows we should rearrange our work, including in the field of monetary policy, to get rid of the need to use dollars,” the deputy PM said.

He notes the two countries almost do not use the dollar in mutual trade. “We pay for petroleum products, gas and oil in dollars. Why use dollars, if we have the Russian ruble and the Belarusian ruble? We need to gradually create the conditions to get rid of the dollar addiction or better still do it as quick as possible,” Piotr Prakapovich stressed.