OREANDA-NEWS   Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma's Financial Market committee, expects the key interest rate to remain unchanged at a meeting of the Bank of Russia on March 21. He stated this at the III Russian Financial Market Forum.

"In the near future, in March, the issue of the key rate will be considered again. I assume that it will remain at the same level," Aksakov said.

In February, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation expectedly left the key rate at 21%, while maintaining a signal for further steps: it will assess the feasibility of raising it at the next meeting. However, the regulator clarified the factors it would rely on when making the decision: in the December statement, it was "the dynamics of lending and inflation," and now it is "the speed and sustainability of inflation reduction."

"On the one hand, there are factors that speak in favor of raising the key rate. Unfortunately, inflation has been showing growth in the recent period and, naturally, is a factor that pushes the Central Bank to raise the key interest rate. On the other hand, we see that the ruble exchange rate is strengthening, and there are forecasts that it will strengthen further. Accordingly, the political factor influences the fact that the key rate may be reduced," Aksakov added.