In view of the current price movements and the oil market outlook, Russia’s central bank is keeping its oil price forecast for this year at US$50 per barrel, and still believes that the price of oil will drop to roughly US$40 in 2018-2019, Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina said in a statement on Friday, after the bank cut the key interest rate to 9 percent annually. Although the pace of economic recovery has somewhat exceeded the Bank of Russia’s expectations, medium-term inflation risks remain in place, governor Nabiullina said. In the medium-term, “ The external economic situation will likely remain unstable, as confirmed by the volatility of oil prices. We do not rule out that [oil] production in the US will grow and other countries, which are not parties to the agreement, will expand their supplies to the global market. Demand-side risks are also in place. They result […]