ARMSWISSBANK BECOMES MARKET MAKER FOR NEWLY LISTED HSBC BANK ARMENIA BONDS

ARKA
Feb 9, 2009

YEREVAN, February 9. /ARKA/. Starting February 6, 2009, Armswissbank
cjsc will provide buy and sell prices for nominal coupon bonds of
"HSBC Bank Armenia" cjsc, which have been listed on NASDAQ OMX Armenia
since February 2, 2009 under ticker symbol HSBCB1.

The market and communication division of NASDAQ OMX told ARKA News
Agency that this issue consists of 10,000 bonds with nominal value
AMD 100,000, maturity 365 days and coupon yield 9%p.a, and is included
in the Bbond list of the stock exchange.

In its status of a market maker Armswissbank will ensure that investors
are always able to buy and sell the bonds of the issuer on NASDAQ
OMX Armenia, thus promoting the liquidity of the securities in the
secondary market.

ArmSwissBank was registered on November 22, 2004 with 100% Swiss
capital.

The bank received its final banking activity license on February
25, 2005.

Armswissbank has been a member of the stock exchange since September
14, 2007 and, apart from HSBCB1, is also the market maker for corporate
bonds issued by "ArmRusGasprom" cjsc (HRGAB2), which is currently
the only security on NASDAQ OMX Armenia Abond list, "Valletta" LLC
(VALTB2, VALTB3), and "Armenian Copper Programme" cjsc (ARCPB1) –
all three on the exchange’s Bbond list.

The bank’s assets reach ed AMD 23.5 billion by Dec 31, 2008,
liabilities AMD 18 billion and total capital AMD 5.5 billion.

The bank’s net profit amounted to AMD 7.2 billion in Jan/Dec 2008.

HSBC Bank Armenia, subsidiary of HSBC Bank Plc, was registered on
September 25, 1995.

HSBC Bank Plc holds 70% of HSBC Bank Armenia shares. The remaining 30%
belong to overseas Armenian investors.

In January 2009, HSBC Bank Armenia also became a member of NASDAQ
OMX Armenia.

The Bank’s assets reached AMD 121.8 billion, liabilities AMD 106.3
billion and total capital AMD 15.5 billion by late December 2008.

The bank’s net profit for Jan/Dec 2008 amounted to AMD 3.9billion.

Armenian Stock Exchange (Armex) renamed NASDAQ OMX Armenia in January
2008 was established in 2001 as voluntary merger of 21 broker (dealer)
companies.

In November 2007, Armex was reorganized into an open joint stock
company.

In January 2008, OMX, Scandinavian stock exchange operator, bought 100%
of Armenian Stock Exchange and Central Depository’s shares.

After NASDAQ and OMX merger in March 2008, the company NASDAQ OMX
Group, Inc became the sole holder of Armenian Stock Exchange and
Central Depository’s shares.

23 securities underwent registration and listing on Armenian Stock
Exchange by Feb 6, 2009, 2009.

Capitalization of Armex amounted to AMD 53.6 billion. ($1 = AMD 305.3).