"BANK ANELIK", CONVERSEBANK, ARMECONOMBANK, UNIBANK, ARDSHININVESTBANK, BANK VTB (ARMENIA) LEADERS BY END OF 2006 IN PRESS RATINGS OF ARKA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 30 2007

YEREVAN, March 29. /ARKA/. ARKA information agency published the press
ratings of Armenia’s banks as of the end of 2006. The following banks
are in the list of the leaders: 1. "Bank Anelik", 2. Conversebank,
3. Armeconombank, 4. Unibank, 5. Ardshininvestbank and 6. Bank VTB
(Armenia).

According to the analysis of press signals, the information activity
of Armenia’s commercial banks increased in the period under review,
but the informational saturation of the signals decreased a little.

A 1.2% increase in number of press signals was recorded in the period
as compared with 2005, with the grand total index being reduced by
10.1% down to 5133. The share of negative press signals increased
from 2.4% to 3.1% in the period.

The analysis of press signals showed that the 1st quarter of 2006 was
the most intense one accounting for by 38.9% of annual press signals,
whereas the 3rd quarter was the most passive one (16.7%). The 2nd and
4th quarters were accounted for by 26.7% and 17.7% of the informational
signal flow respectively.

The share of signals under the "general" topic increased from 40.2%
to 50.6% in the flow in 2006.

The volume of information on "Clients and Service" remained unchanged
against 2005 and made 1.6% of the total volume. Reduction was recorded
in informational activity on other topics – "Bank Development Policy"
(from 24.4% down to 20.6%), "Digitized Illustration of Banking
Activity" (from 26.7% to 21.7%) and "Staff’s views and forecasts on
economy" (from 5.9% to 5.7%).

According to the press ratings of ARKA for 2006, Armeconombank became
the leader under the "General" heading and in the "Bank Development
Policy" section. Conversebank demonstrated the highest activity in
"Digitized Illustration of Banking Activity". "Bank Anelik" became
the leader of "Clients and Service" and "Staff views and forecasts
on economy".

The following banks were leading in the press ratings in 2005:
1. Armeconombank, 2. Ardshininvestbank, 3. Conversebank, 4. ACBA
Credit Agricole Bank and 5. HSBC Bank Armenia.

The press ratings of ARKA are calculated based not on the financial
and economic indicators, but on the facts of banking activities
communicated to the public through mass media. The higher is
the awareness of a bank’s activities, the more efficient is its
communication policy. Advertising information was not considered in
the analysis. See the details in the bulletin "Press ratings of banks"
#01 (32) for 2006.