The Mozambican Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy admitted on Thursday the possibility of the African country buying Russian oil in rubles, if that option is viable, after Moscow presented Maputo with its availability for this mechanism.
I am sure that we will study and verify the feasibility of this offer. [da Rússia]if there is feasibility, surely [o petróleo russo] will be acquired” in rubles, said Carlos Zacarias.
Zacarías was speaking this Thursday to the media, on the sidelines of the seventh coordinating council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, which is being held in the province of Gaza, southern Mozambique.
That official pointed out that Mozambique’s receptivity to the Russian proposal is due to the fact that the world is live a “peculiar moment”characterized by high volatility in oil prices on the international market, due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
In this sense, continued Carlos Zacarias, the focus of the Mozambican authorities in relation to the price of oil will be determined by the behavior of the international market.
Zacarías denied anticipating a possible next rising fuel pricescompared to several increases that have already occurred this year.
As for the change in fuel prices, it has to do with factors such as the variation in the international market, naturally, if that variation is above a well-defined level, then there may be a change in fuel prices”, he claimed.
Moscow’s proposal was presented a week ago by the Russian ambassador to Mozambique, Alexander Surikov, after a meeting with the CTA – Confederation of Mozambican Economic Associations.
The ruble and the metical are decent currencies that can be used and do not need the benevolence of some other countries that control the international system,” the Russian diplomat said then, adding that Moscow wants to strengthen cooperation with Maputo.
Mozambique was one of the countries that abstained on two resolutions who went to vote in the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization (UN): one condemned Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine due to the war and another suspended Moscow from the Human Rights Council.
The Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo, ruling party) was an ally of Moscow during the time of the former USSR, having received military support during the fight against Portuguese colonialism and economic aid after independence in 1975.
According to data provided by CTA, the annual volume of economic transactions between Mozambique and Russia was estimated to be at least 100 million US dollars (98.5 million euros at current exchange rates).
Source: Observadora
