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MOSCOW, December 22 (Sputnik) Moscow and Tehran agreed that using national currencies may be appropriate inmutual food trade duringa meeting betweenRussia's state agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor and Iran's Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Sinaki, the watchdog said ina Monday statement.
"The sides have agreed on the expediency ofa transition topayments innational currencies," the statement said.Apart fromthe possible use ofthe Russian ruble and the Iranian rial infood trade operations, Rosselhkhoznadzor and the Tehran official pointed outthe potential benefits ofan increase involume and diversification ofthe food trade.
Deputy Minister Sinaki also noted that Iran's food exports toRussia will have a "halal" certificate, which would ensure high demand fromRussian Muslims.
Following the introduction ofa series ofWestern economic sanctions againstRussia overits alleged role inthe Ukrainian crisis, Moscow issued a one-year ban onthe export ofmany food products fromthe United States, the European Union and other countries that had imposed the restrictions. Moscow has also started tosearch foralternative food suppliers, withTurkey and Pakistan expressing readiness toboost food exports toRussia.
In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia plans toquit the "dollar dictatorship" inglobal trade and begin toincrease the use ofother national currencies, inparticular, the ruble and the yuan.
By Sputnik News
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