Romania's international reserves shrink to 27.426 billion euros

Romania's international reserves (foreign currency plus gold) decreased to 27.426 billion euros on March 31, 2009, compared to 28.401 billion euros on February 28, 2009, Romania's National Bank (BNR) informs on Wednesday.

The gold reserve maintained at 103.7 tonnes. Considering the evolution of the international prices, its value stood at 2.305 billion euros.

Romania's currency reserves stood at 25.121 billion euros on March 31, 2009, down compared to 25.917 billion euros on February 28, 2009.

The payments due in April 2009 in the account of public foreign external debt, direct or guaranteed by the Ministry of Public Finance total 85 million euros.

According to BNR, the diminution of reserves on March 31, 2009 compared to February 28, 2009 was mainly the result of the evolution of the euro exchange rate as against the American dollar and the British pound in the aforementioned period.

The currency reserves of the National Bank of Romania are made up of assets denominated in euros (65 percent), US Dollars (27.5 percent), British pounds (7 percent) and other currencies (0.5 percent). The appreciation of the euro as against the American dollar and British pound in March led to the diminution of the value in dollars and British pounds of the currency reserve with the equivalent of 422 million euros.

Rompres