YEREVAN, MARCH 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia's GDP made 221 bln 403.1 mln drams (over 719.3 mln USD) in January-February 2008, exceeding by 10.1% the respective index of 2007. According to the RA National Statistical service, GDP index-deflator made 105.1%. Industrial production amounted to 108 bln 29.7 mln drams in January-February 2008, growing by 3% on the same period of last year. Industrial production without diamond production made 106 bln 633.8 mln drams, growing by 4.3%. Gross agricultural output made 25 bln 770.9 mln dram, growing by 0.4%, construction amounted to 18 bln 312.4 mln drams, growing by 22.9%. Retail trade made 120 bln 928.3 mln drams in January-February 2008, increasing by 9.4% on the same months of 2007, while services amounted to 80 bln 151.1 mln drams, growing by 11.8%. The consumer price index made 107%, the index of prices of manufacturers' production - 105.4% in January-February 2008 as compared with the same period of 2007. The number of officially registered unemployed made 72.4 thousand in late February, declining by 14.3% on the same months of 2007. The average monthly nominal salary made 83.772 thousand drams in the first two months of 2008, or by 22.5% more than in January-February 2007. The same indices with respect to employees of budgetary institutions made 58.834 thousand drams and 14.4%, with respect to employees of nonbudgetary institutions - 105.629 thousand drams and 25.3%. Foreign trade of Armenia amounted to 687 mln USD in January-February 2008, growing by 24.3% on the same period of last year. The same indices without diamond trade made 645.8 mln USD and 28.9% respectively. Exports made 143.6 mln USD, increasing by 6.2%, exports without diamond exports - 123.5 mln USD, increasing by 9.3%. Imports made 543.4 mln USD, growing by 30.2%, imports without diamond imports - 522.3 mln USD, growing by 134.6%. The average exchange rate of the Armenian dram against the US dollar made 307.78 drams in January-February 2008 - against the average exchange rate of 342.08 drams in the year 2007.

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