08/17/1998 08:34:03 Russian rouble fixes down at 6.43 to dollar

MOSCOW, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The rouble fell to 6.43OO to the dollar at the MICEX fix on Monday from a previous fix of 6.3100 to the dollar in the wake of an announcement by the government and central bank that they were allowing the rouble to float. In a raft of measures that included a repayment moratorium on foreign debt, the central bank and government also widened the band at which they would defend the rouble to 6.00 to 9.5 to the dollar from the previous 5.27/7.13 band. The interbank fix was stronger than the rate at which the rouble was quoted on the spot market, standing at 7.1000/7.8000. Settlement for tomorrow/next day was quoted at 6.500/8.000 to the dollar. ((Moscow Newsroom, +7095 941-8520 moscow.newsroom@reuters.com))