ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 21 2005
New UNICEF representative takes over in Armenia
Flu illnesses cases not registered in Armenia in Jan 2005
2005 to be a year of resistance to external challenges for Armenia –
RA NA Deputy
S.Chzmachian: 2004 was unexampled successful for RA banking system
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NEW UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE TAKES OVER IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. Mr. Sheldon Yett, a U.S. citizen is
appointed new UNICEF Representative in Armenia, according to the
UNICEF Office in Armenia. The new UNICEF Representative has a 12-year
experience in the field of international development and has been
working iwith UNICEF headquarters in New York as a coordinator of
humanitarian issues and has also served in Somalia, Burundi and
Kosovo, as well as in other field duty stations.
The new UNICEF representative in Armenia has already met with the RA
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, and looks forward to working with
the Government of Armenia and other counterparts. L.V.-0–
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FLU ILLNESSES CASES NOT REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JAN 2005
YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. Flu illnesses cases were not registered
in Armenia in Jan 2005, Chief Doctor of Infection Clinics `Nork’ Ara
Asoyan stated today. According to him, at the moment 32 people are at
the hospital with respiratory diseases, however none of them has flu.
He added that there were no registered cases of botulism in 2005.
L.D. -0 –
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2005 TO BE A YEAR OF RESISTANCE TO EXTERNAL CHALLENGES FOR ARMENIA –
RA NA DEPUTY
YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. 2005 will be a year of resistance to
numerous external challenges for Armenia, as stated historian Hamlet
Harutunyan, the RA NA deputy in the National Press Club today.
According to him, the political forces of the country should
consolidate around the national problems, in particular, the Karabakh
issue. The statement of the US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth
Jones, he considers in the context of USA testing the interpolitical
stability in the country. Such checkups, according to him, can be
expected on the part of Russia as well. `They cannot thrust the
unfavorable settlement of the Karabakh conflict on us, if we come out
as one’, noted the deputy. At that, Harutunyan added that the problem
of change of power will not be pressing this year, as the opposition
has missed the opportunity which could be carried out in 2004. L.V.
-0 –
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S.CHZMACHIAN: 2004 WAS UNEXAMPLED SUCCESSFUL FOR RA BANKING SYSTEM
Exclusive Interview of Samvel CHZMACHIAN, the Chairman Armenian Banks
Union to ARKA News Agency
ARKA – What was 2004 for RA banking system?
S.Chzmachian – 2004 was unexampled successful for RA banking system.
Thus, the assets of the system grew by 27.1% and achieved 365 billion
AMD and it is very good indicator. The credits grew by 39.6% and made
more than 130 billion AMD, total authorized capital grew by 6.7% and
stood at 39.2 billion AMD. Total capital of the banks grew by 26.5%
and achieved more than 63 billion AMD. Profit of the banks exceeded
10 billion AMD, having increased by 58.6%. Unfortunately not all the
banks can independentely overcome normative level on total capital in
$5 million by July 1, 2005. They now conduct negotiations with
investors and in favourable result they will be able to attract new
shareholders and remain in banking field.
ARKA – How do you estimate CB decision to increase the normative on
total capital for newly creating banks from $5 million to $10
million? What do you think, will the given normative change for
acting banks?
S.Chzmachian – Using the opportunity, I ask CB not to change the
demand to the capital for acting banks in near 5 years. According to
the information I poses, neither one country in Europe and Asia and
even in America, besides Kazakhstan, has the demands on capital more
than $5 million. I think, in this issue we should try to present
ourselves as bigger Catholics than Rome Pope, because it can lead to
losing of investors’ interest to banking activity in our country. The
banks themselves understand that it is necessary to increase the
capital and competition will lead to it without pressure by CB. CB
has made much for the banking system in the whole, however I think
that negative conditions that occurred in banking system in last 2-3
years, namely bankrupt Ardshinbank and Credit-Yerevan Bank, should
frighten our main bank, so much that it made such a decisions.
Armenian Banks Union asks CBA not to make decision when either the
sum of the capital is decreasing, or minimal demands to it are
growing.
ARKA – What risks expect banking system in 2005?
S.Chzmachian – We must be maximally careful in the issue of
crediting, must correspond to new demands on foreign exchange
position. The banks must be very attentive in fulfillment of demands
of new law on fight against money laundry and financing of terrorism,
because even one mistake committed by one bank can have significantly
negative influence on the whole banking system of Armenia. The banks
must be careful in hiring people. I would like to mention that
corporate management implemented by CB should not envisage full
depersonalization of people. L.D. -0 –