Feb 20 (Interfax) - Russian industrial production in January was up 24.4% from the same month of 1997, which was the best year since the launch of economic reform prior to the financial crisis of 1998, Deputy Industry and Science Minister Vladimir Fridlyanov told Interfax. "Despite the deterioration of the situation on the world market and slowdown in foreign and domestic demand, industrial production in January rose 2.2% compared to the same period of last year and 39.8% compared to September 1998, where there was the maximum post-crisis drop in production," Fridlyanov said. The 7.5% decline in production in January compared to December 2001 is typical for this month of the year, he said. Output in January was up 9.8% year-on-year in nonferrous metallurgy, 1.7% in the chemicals and petrochemicals industry, 0.9% in light industry, and 0.4% in forestry, timber processing and pulp-and- paper, but down 3.6% in the iron and steel industry, and 1.8% in engineering and metalwork, Fridlyanov said. Average utilization of production capacity in January was 52%, up from 49% in January 2001 but down from 53% in the last quarter of 2001.