DUSHANBE, February 2, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- In January 2009, Tajikistan stood in the sixth place among former Soviet Union republics in terms of increase in the Us dollar exchange rate, Belarus’ news agency BelPan reported.

In Tajikistan, the USD exchange rate rose 6.35 percent in a month to January 31, 2009, reaching 3.671 somoni.  As of December 31, 2008, the exchange rate of USD against Tajik national currency – the Somoni – was 1:3.4519.

Among the five top countries, where the highest increase in the USD exchange rate was reported last month, are Belarus (25.09 percent increase from 1:2.2 to 1:2.752), Russia (20.54 percent increase from 1:29.3804 to 1:35.4146), Estonia (9.7 percent increase from 1:11.1052 to 1:12.182), Lithuania (9.25 percent increase from 1:2.4507 to 1:2.6775), and Latvia (8.28 percent increase from 1:0.495 to 1:0.535).

In Kyrgyzstan, the USD exchange rate rose 2.33 percent over the report period – from 1:39.4181 to 1:40.3376, Moldova – 1.16 percent (from 1:10.4002 to1:10.5207), Azerbaijan – 0.71 percent (from 1:0.801 to 1:0.8067), Kazakhstan – 0.58 percent (from 1:120.77 to 1:121.47), and Uzbekistan – 0.54 percent (from 1:1,393.00 to 1:1,400.52).

In Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine, the USD exchange rate remained unchanged – 1:1.667, 1:2.85 and 1:7.7 respectively.

Only in Armenia, the USD exchange rate decreased by 0.5 percent over report period, from 1:306.73 to 1:305.21.