Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Rouble: The Next Reserve Currency

Apparently, Russia has aspirations to turn its currency, the Rouble, into an international reserve currency. Moreover, according to an official with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), this plan is not that far-fetched. Despite soaring inflation and political oppression, Russia's economy is forecast to grow at 8% for the next two years, due primarily to soaring natural resource prices. By its own admission, Russia needs to diversify its economy without inhibiting growth, strengthen its financial system, and conduct monetary policy with price stability in mind. These ambitious steps, combined with continued economic growth, would position the Rouble to be a stable and viable alternative to the Dollar, especially on a regional basis. The Guardian reports:

Russia, with a $1.3 trillion economy at the end of last year, is targeting a place among the world's top five economies by 2020, [President] Medvedev has said. But he acknowledges the rule of law needs to be strengthened and corruption must be rooted out.

Read More: IMF says rouble could become reserve currency

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