Oct 4 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee rose on Friday to it highest close in two-and-a-half months on dollar sales by banks and exporters despite mild importer demand for the greenback, dealers said. The rupee spot closed at 131.15/21, its highest close since July 17 and firmer than Thursday's close of 131.35/45. Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said in an interview with Reuters that the rupee would "behave in a stable manner" in the next few months as the monetary authority has taken steps needed to deal with a volatile environment. A weak dollar, languishing around an eight-month low against a basket of currencies on Friday as the U.S. budget standoff drags on, also helped sentiment. The rupee hit a record low of 135.20 on Aug. 28, but has managed to stem further losses since then. It has risen 3.2 percent since hitting its all-time low. The currency is down 2.8 percent this year, after depreciating about 10 percent in 2012. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Source