Turkey says it has started paying some Russian gas bills in rubles

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih said Turkey has started paying for some of Russian gas in rubles. Turkey and Russia agreed in September to use rubles to buy Russian gas. Analysts said the move by Turkey and Russia was aimed at ending the dominance of the dollar and the euro in trade transactions between the two countries and supporting their local currencies. Paying part of the Russian gas bill in rubles will pave the way for Turkey and Russia to sign a large-scale currency swap agreement in the coming period.