MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Inflation in Russia on June 1-18 was 0.4% and totaled 5.1% from the start of the year to June 18, a senior Central Bank official said Monday.
First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev also said the ruble's appreciation on Tuesday could cause a slowdown in inflation.
"There is an opinion that states one percentage point of ruble appreciation corresponds to about 0.3 percentage points of a decline in inflation. This is an approximate estimate, but it is generally accurate," the Central Bank official said.
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said earlier that inflation in June 2007 could exceed last June's rate. He said inflation in April and May was higher than in the same period last year. Inflation stood at 0.3% in June 2006, and 6.2% in January-June.
According to ministerial forecasts, inflation in Russia will remain within 8% in 2007. In an earlier interview Ulyukayev said the Central Bank would not review its current inflation forecast of 8%.
Russia's inflation stood at 9% in 2006.
