Lavrov to Chinese media: We need to move away from Western-controlled international payment systems

Russia should move away from using Western-controlled payment systems to reduce sanctions risks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Chinese media.

In his opinion, it is necessary to switch to settlements in national currency and currencies alternative to the US dollar. Thus, Russia and China can reduce sanctions risks by strengthening financial independence.

“We need to reduce sanctions risks by strengthening our technological independence, by switching to settlements in national currencies and in world currencies alternative to the dollar. We need to move away from the use of international payment systems controlled by the West,” Lavrov said, quoted by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The United States, according to Lavrov, sets the task of limiting the possibilities of technological development in Russia and China. Lavrov said that the United States wants to maintain its dominance in the world “by curbing the development of other countries.” “This policy runs counter to the objective trend and, as it was customary to say, is“ on the wrong side of history ”. The historical process will take its toll anyway, ”Lavrov stressed.

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In early March, the EU and the US imposed sanctions against Russia one after another due to the situation around the founder of the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK; entered by the Ministry of Justice in the register of non-profit foreign agents) Alexei Navalny. The restrictions affected the chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin, Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops Viktor Zolotov, Director of the Federal Service for the Execution of Punishments Alexander Kalashnikov, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov and other officials.