The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) now adheres to the so-called corridor policy regarding the national currency exchange rate, NBU Head Valeriya Gontareva has said.

"The NBU has the task to increase foreign exchange reserves and it is ready to do this in unlimited quantities at the lower end of the corridor – UAH 21 per $1," she said at a press conference.

Gontareva said that over the last four months the country's foreign trade balance and current account have been balanced, and the NBU has sufficient international reserves standing at $12 billion.

According to her, since the beginning of the year the NBU has bought $1.3 billion from the market and is ready to continue purchasing.

She noted that the ambitious goal is to increase reserves to $18 billion by the end of 2015, or four months of imports, however the main source of their replenishment will be international financial assistance.

Gontareva said that in recent months Naftogaz Ukrainy has ceased buying foreign currency directly from the NBU and has already bought almost $700 million in the market.