Business transactions between North Korea and Russia have reached 3.5 billion rubles ($67 million) in value since the two countries began using the currency last October, a Russian official said.

Chairing a meeting of the Russian half of the intergovernmental commission on trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation between Russia and the DPRK, Minister for Far East Development Alexander Galushka said the figure was an important indicator for joint cooperation.

Originally scheduled to take place last July, the move was delayed to set up the necessary financial infrastructure. Payments are now made through the OAO AKB Regional Development Bank and the DPRK’s