MOSCOW, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Russia's finance ministry

said on Monday it would decrease its purchases of foreign

currency and gold in the month ahead, a move that will increase

the state's overall forex sales, providing support for the

rouble.

The finance ministry said its purchases of foreign

currencies and gold for the period from Jan. 15 to Feb. 6 would

amount to the equivalent of 70.2 billion roubles, or 4.1 billion

roubles a day.

The move implies that the overall net forex sales by the

government and the central bank will rise to 4.76 billion

roubles per day from 3.41 billion roubles, a daily amount that

was in effect from Jan. 9, 2025.

In the previous period the ministry had planned to buy

foreign currency worth 114.4 billion roubles, or 5.4 billion

roubles a day.