NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - Venezuela does not rule out devaluing its currency, but the government is mindful of the impact of such a move in the country's already high inflation rates, Finance Minister Ali Rodriguez said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters during a short trip to New York, Rodriguez forecast inflation will close 2009 at around 28 percent and will remain "high" in 2010, until Venezuela is able to reduce its dependency on imported food and goods.
Venezuela's fixed exchange rate of 2.15 bolivares per U.S. dollar is seen as unsustainable by economists, who say President Hugo Chavez will eventually need to devalue the currency to offset a fall in revenues.
Rodriguez came to New York to attend a United Nations conference on the financial crisis. He was unable to deliver his speech at the conference, however, because his flight was delayed by U.S. visa problems.
(Reporting by Walter Brandimarte, Editing by Sandra Maler)