OREANDA-NEWS  The rapid transition to the use of national currencies instead of dollars in payments is observed among the members of the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where alternative payment systems are being rapidly introduced, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"We are discussing this topic within the framework of BRICS, within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Alternative payment platforms are being actively introduced, the transition to national currencies is developing very rapidly," Lavrov said, speaking at the Primakov Readings international scientific and expert forum.

"But there has been a gradual shift away from dependence on the dollar, dependence on payment systems, supply chains that the West is building," the minister added.

According to him, consultations on common payment platforms are underway in the SCO, but they have not resulted in specific instructions. The recommendations of the heads of the finance ministries and central banks of the BRICS on alternative payment platforms are planned to be considered "with an eye to making some decisions" during the Russian presidency of the BRICS in 2024.