MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - Argentina has proposed Russia to use national currencies in mutual payments, Russian ministry of Economic Development said Thursday in a press release.
"The members of the commission have discussed the issue of boosting imports of agricultural and food products from Argentina. Besides, the Russian side expressed interest in using national currencies for mutual payments," the press release read.
The issue was raised at a meeting between Buenos-Aires' representative for Russia-Argentina intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation Carlos Bianco and Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexei Likhachev. The meeting was held in Moscow Thursday.
The sides also touched on joint projects in nuclear energy, agriculture, industry and transport.
Earlier this week, the head of the Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor Sergei Dankvert said that in 2015, Russia is planning to increase the trade with Argentina up to $2.5-3 billion. Imports of Argentinian goods may reach $500 million.
A number of Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico, have expressed their willingness to boost food exports to Russia, after Moscow banned for a year imports of food from the countries that previously imposed sanctions on the country over its alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict.
