Friday, March 20 2026 17:24
Karina Melikyan

From March 16 to 20, 2026, dollar and ruble transactions in Armenia`s  foreign exchange market saw significant growth 

From March 16 to 20, 2026, dollar and ruble transactions in Armenia`s  foreign exchange market saw significant growth 

ArmInfo.In Armenia's interbank foreign exchange market, transactions involving dollars and rubles saw significant growth from March 16 to 20, 2026, while euro transactions remained stagnant for the third consecutive week. The  increase in dollar transactions slowed slightly from 76.4% to 76%, while ruble transactions accelerated from 2.3 times to 3.4 times. 

This resulted in the weekly volume of dollar transactions continuing to outperform ruble transactions, with the gap narrowing from 3 times to 1.6 times. 

During the reporting week (March 16-20, 2026 compared to March 9-13,  2026), in the interbank foreign exchange market, the trend of buying  dollars reversed from a decline to an increase, while the trend of  selling also reversed. For euro transactions, the decline in  buying  accelerated, as did the sales. For ruble transactions, the  acceleration of the decline in buying was accompanied by a reversal  of the trend. As a result, from March 16 to 20, the dram continued to  strengthen against both the dollar, from AMD 376.5 to AMD 376.3/1$,  and against the ruble, from AMD 4.68 to AMD 4.48 /1RUB, while  weakening against the euro, from AMD 434.5 to AMD 435.5/1EUR. A year  earlier, on March 20, 2025, the dram exchange rate against the dollar  was AMD 391.8 /$1, against the euro - AMD 427.5 /1EUR, and against  the ruble - AMD 4.58 drams/1 RUB. Compared to current rates, this  indicates an annual revaluation of the dram against the dollar and  ruble of 4% and 2%, respectively, and a devaluation against the euro  of 2%.

According to the Central Bank of Armenia, dollar transactions and  ruble transactions were conducted on the interbank currency market  from March 16 to 20. Moreover, dollar and ruble transactions were  conducted simultaneously from Tuesday through Friday (March 17-20),  and on Monday (March 16), only dollar transactions were conducted. As  a result, the total weekly dollar transaction volume amounted to  $15.5 million at an average exchange rate of AMD 378.30/$1 (compared  to AMD 378.39/$1 the week before), while the total ruble transaction  volume amounted to 790 million rubles at an average exchange rate of  AMD 4.56 /1RUB (compared to AMD 4.791/RUB the week before). The  maximum dollar transaction volume occurred on Wednesday (March 18) at  $5 million, while the largest ruble transaction volume occurred on  Friday (March 20) at 350 million rubles.

In the interbank foreign exchange market from March 16 to 20, 20206,  compared to the previous week (09- 13.03.26), the dollar buying trend  went from an 18.2% decline to a 38.5% growth with a reversal of the  sales trend - from 9% growth to a 16% decline. For euro transactions,  the decline in buying accelerated from 4% to 13.4% with an  acceleration of sales growth from 8.1% to 15.6%, and for ruble  transactions, the acceleration of the decline in buying from 5.4% to  9.2% was accompanied by a sales trend going from a 36% decline to a  significant growth of 2.2 times. As a result, during the reporting  week, $192.3 million was purchased at an average rate of AMD 376.25/  $ 1, 37.6 million euros at an average rate of AMD 430.40  / 1 EUR,  and 6.7 billion rubles at an average rate of AMD 4.52 /1 RUB.  Additionally, $162.5 million were sold at an average rate of AMD  378.52 /$1, 62.6 million euros at an average rate of AMD 436.84/1  EUR, and 7.4 billion rubles at an average rate of AMD 4.64 /1 RUB. 

During the reporting week, the maximum volume of euro sales was  recorded on Tuesday (March 17 - 18.03 million euros). The largest  volume of euro purchases was recorded on Thursday (March 19 - 12.1  million euros). On Friday, the maximum volumes of dollar and ruble  purchases and sales occurred (March 20 - $55.9-42.6 million and  1.7-1.9 billion rubles). According to the Central Bank of Armenia,  for the whole of 2025, the Central Bank has carried out interventions  in the foreign exchange market in the amount of $1.796 billion in  February-December, strengthening the exchange rate from AMD 394.19  /$1 in February to AMD 381.49 /$1 in December. These were only  purchase operations.

In the intra-bank foreign exchange market for the whole of 2025, $7.6  billion, 2.03 billion euros and 676.7 billion rubles were purchased,  and $10.6 billion, 3.2 billion euros and 177.4 billion rubles were  sold. This formed the purchase rate in December  at the level of AMD  380.38/$1, AMD 442.74/1EUR and AMD 4.83/1RUB, and the selling rate at   AMD 382.62/$1, AMD 449.26/1EUR and AMD 4.91/1 RUB, against the  December 2024 rates of AMD 394.84 /$1,  AMD 413.75/1 EUR, AMD  3.84/1RUBe - for buying, and AMD 398.16/$1, AMD 420.09/1EUR, and AMD  3.97 /1 RUB - for selling.

After eight years of "silence," the foreign exchange  platform  resumed operations in June 2024.  Over the five-month period  (June-October), dollar transactions totaling $14.7 million were  conducted, with the dram strengthening from AMD 388.9 /$1 in June to  AMD 387.75 $1 in October. In November- December 2024, the foreign  exchange platform was idle. Then, in 2025, over the 12 months of  2025, dollar transactions totaling $29,4 million were conducted on  the foreign exchange platform, with the dram strengthening from AMD  398.75/$1 in January to AMD 381.25/$1 in July. The currency exchange  market was active during the reporting year, reaching its peak  monthly volume in November - $8,8 million.

Recall, ruble transactions in the Armenian interbank foreign  market  started on March 14, 2022. From that point until the end of the year,  transactions totaling 8.7 billion rubles were conducted, with an  additional 17.5 billion rubles for the entire 2023. This was  accompanied by a weakening of the dram against the ruble in the  interbank foreign exchange market from March to December 2022, from  AMD 4.86 to AMD 5.8/1RUB. However, the dram subsequently strengthened  against the ruble to AMD 4.47/1RUB by the end of 2023 and further to  AMD 3.84/1RUB by the end of 2024. However, since 2025, the dram has  once again begun to weaken against the ruble. By the mid-year mark,  it had reverted to the initial exchange rate of AMD 4.88 /1RUB in the  interbank foreign exchange market.

Recall, ruble transactions in the Armenian interbank foreign exchange  market started on March 14, 2022.  From that point until the end of  the year, transactions totaling 8.7 billion rubles were conducted,  with an additional 17.5 billion rubles for the entire 2023. This was  accompanied by a weakening of the dram against the ruble in the  interbank foreign exchange market from March to December 2022, from  AMD 4.86 to AMD 5.8/1RUB. However, the dram subsequently strengthened  against the ruble to AMD 4.47/1RUB by the end of 2023 and further to  AMD 3.84/1RUB by the end of 2024. However, since 2025, the dram has  once again begun to weaken against the ruble. By the mid-year mark,  it had reverted to the initial exchange rate of AMD 4.86 /1RUB in the  interbank foreign exchange market.