YEREVAN, February 18. /ARKA/. Armenia will record 6% inflation in 2010, Mark Lewis, the head of International Monetary Fund’s mission in Armenia, said Wednesday at a news conference.

He thinks that impacts of outside factors would weaken in 2010, and despite anticipated rise in regulated prices, such as prices for gas, inflation rate will go down.
Armenia recorded 1.7% inflation in January 2010, compared with December 2009, due to season change in prices for some foods.

Lewis thinks that inflation rise in 2009 was mainly due to outside factors.
He said Armenian dram devaluation in the beginning of that year and changes in world prices for some goods fueled inflation as well.

Consumer prices went 6.5% up in December 2009, compared with December 2008.
Lewis said that higher-than-usual inflation will remain in Armenia several months, but in mid-2010 it will start downward movement.

Armenian government has planned 4 ±1.5% inflation in the 2010 state budget. ---0---