Berlin, June 11 (QNA) - The European Central Bank (ECB) raised its deposit rate by 0.25 percentage points to 2.25 percent today, marking its first increase in nearly three years.

The bank hopes this move will help curb inflation before the sharp rise in energy costs, stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, spreads more widely across the eurozone economy.

The ECB also raised the interest rate on its main refinancing operations to 2.4 percent and the marginal lending facility rate to 2.65 percent. (QNA)