Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko indicated in a discussion with Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Russian Central Bank, that he and Vladimir Putin had agreed the move toward a shared currency is not an immediate goal. The remarks were reported by BelTA, the state news agency.
Lukashenko noted that the Interbank Monetary Board of the Russian Central Bank and the Belarusian National Bank remain actively engaged within Belarus. He added that there are no open questions related to their ongoing coordination and that the bilateral banking dialogue is progressing without major obstacles.
In the exchange with Nabiullina, Lukashenko recalled that, at the highest level, the creation of a single currency is a complex undertaking. He stressed that, for now, such a transition is not planned, reiterating the stance they had previously outlined in talks with President Putin.
The president also praised Nabiullina, underscoring her leadership of the Russian central bank amid sanctions. He noted that even critics of Belarus and Russia acknowledge her decisive actions to stabilize the Russian economy and address exchange rate challenges in recent times.
Earlier, in March of the previous year, Belarusian Finance Minister Yury Seliverstov stated that as long as mutual trade relies on the use of the national currencies of both nations, a shift by Belarus toward the Russian ruble would not be considered at this stage. This position underscores the cautious approach to currency integration while the two countries expand their economic ties.