The administration of the Russian Concern „Gazprom” examines the possibility of usage of Russian roubles as a means of payment for the gas delivered to CIS countries, DECA-press Agency transmits.

This fact is mentioned in today’s edition of the Russian daily newspaper „Nezavisimaya gazeta”, which cites the adjunct president of the administration of the concern „Gazprom”, Andrei Kruglov.

According to him, the administration of the concern analyzes the possibility of transition to a new system of calculation of payments for the delivery of gas in CIS countries. This one says that the payments must be calculated in roubles, and the new schema could be applied as a result of financial instability in the world.

The newspaper of Moscow notes that some countries from CIS area could react negatively to this plan of „Gazprom”. This is due to the fact that the rouble in some countries is seen as a part of the past of the abolished empire. Yet, there might also be some “boomerang reactions”.

If the price for gas is fixed in dollars, and the payments are made in roubles – for CIS countries, it won’t be any difference. If the price is established in roubles, these states will record losses, because they will have to pay more, Russian experts cited by „Nezavisimaya gazeta” consider.

Traditionally, the prices to energetic resources are negotiated in dollars. At the same time, as a result of the depreciation of the dollar, representatives of the Organization of Petroleum Export (OPEC) have recently declared that, soon, they could use euros as a reference currency in calculations.// DECA-Press


Publication date: 25 March 2008   

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