OSAKA, June 13 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian ruble could become a regional reserve currency within the next five years, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Osaka on the sidelines of a Group of Eight finance ministers' meeting, Kudrin said the Russian national currency has already begun to play the role of a reserve currency in certain states.

President Dmitry Medvedev said last week that turning Moscow into a global financial center and the Russian ruble into a leading regional reserve currency are key to building a competitive financial system in Russia.

The finance ministers' meeting is part of preparations for the G8 summit, to be held on the Japanese island of Hokkaido on July 7-9.