Russian central bank diversifies holdings amid geopolitical risks

(June 19, 2018 - by Reuters)

The Russian central bank takes into account all risks, including geopolitical ones, while managing its gold and foreign exchange reserves, its governor Elvira Nabiullina told the state Duma on Tuesday.

Russia’s gold and forex reserves were $461 billion as of June 8, the latest central bank figures show, with 45.8 % of foreign assets excluding gold denominated in U.S. dollars, as of Jan. 1.

“We have increased the share of gold last year, we are diversifying the forex part (as well),” Nabiullina said in response to a lawmaker’s question about the structure of the reserves.

U.S. Treasury data published last week showed Russia halved its holdings of Treasury securities in April, to $48.7 billion at the end of that month, from $96.1 billion at end-March.

In early April, the United States imposed sanctions on a number of Russian businessmen and their companies, with Oleg Deripaska and Rusal, the world’s largest aluminium producer, which he controls, taking the biggest hit.