16:04, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Ameriabank has entered into long-term subordinated loan agreement with Symbiotics SA for USD 15 million, with possible increase up to USD 25 million. The funds qualify as Bank Tier 2 capital instrument under Basel III framework and are aimed at strengthening the overall capital position of the Bank.
Ameriabank CEO Artak Hanesyan commented: “We highly appreciate the relationship with our partners at Symbiotics SA and are delighted to continue it with a long-term subordinated loan facility now. The new funds will help us to not only sustain loan book growth but also provide much needed support to the Armenian businesses in these challenging times. The Facility arrives just in time, when the regulator encouraged the banks to attract capital by means of Tier 2 instruments, and we plan to raise more Tier 2 Capital still this year. This is also an important milestone en route to our IPO and I thank again our partners for their continuous support and trust in Ameriabank”.
“Together with our anchor investor in this deal, C-Quadrat, we are glad to support our long-standing partner Ameriabank with Tier II capital alongside the global pandemic and look forward to jointly ensuring uninterrupted access to finance for the local micro – small and medium sized enterprises in this economically challenging period”, noted Sofia Tulupova, Symbiotics Co- regional Manager for ECA and MENAP.
“For more than ten years, Vision Microfinance has enabled people in developing countries to make decisive improvements in their living conditions. This has become possible due to the successful cooperation with Symbiotics and the reliable network of local financial institutions that has been carefully built within these years. Ameriabank is one of the highest rated partner institutions in our investee network and we are glad that with this facility we managed to deliver a timely support to the bank that will further serve its goal of financing MSME clients of the bank in urban and rural areas of Armenia.”, noted Günther Kastner, the founder, Managing Partner and CIO of C-QUADRAT Impact Asset Management GmbH.
About Symbiotics SA
Symbiotics is the leading market access platform for impact investing, dedicated to financing micro- small and medium enterprises and low- and middle-income households in emerging and frontier markets. Since 2005, Symbiotics has structured and originated some 4,000 deals for over 450 companies in almost 90 emerging and frontier markets representing more than USD 5.5 billion. These investments have been purchased by more than 25 fund mandates and more than 50 third party specialized fund managers, forming a growing ecosystem and marketplace for such transactions.
symbioticsgroup.com
About DUAL Return Fund/C-Quadrat
The Dual Return Fund – Vision Microfinance contributes to sustainable development worldwide by working towards majority of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over 1.77bn USD distributed in the form of 1123 loans to 303 different Microfinance Institutions in 67 countries, reaching out to an estimated more than 2,5 million micro entrepreneurs including their families.
www.visionmicrofinance.com
C-Quadrat Impact Asset Management, Austria, investment manager of the Dual Return Fund, is a leading independent asset management company in the German speaking region specializing in asset allocation, analysis and management of absolute return, sustainable investments and microfinance fund products.
www.cq-am.com
Ameriabank CJSC
Ameriabank is a dynamically developing bank and one of the major and most stable financial institutions in Armenia with clearly formulated digital agenda. The first investment bank in Armenia, Ameriabank is a universal bank offering innovative corporate, investment and retail banking services in a comprehensive package of banking solutions.
For further information, please visit .
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 01-12-20
17:22, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, 1 DECEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 1 December, USD exchange rate up by 0.58 drams to 506.98 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.59 drams to 607.41 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 6.66 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.24 drams to 676.92 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 239.85 drams to 28729.18 drams. Silver price down by 15.62 drams to 361.04 drams. Platinum price up by 506.69 drams to 15957.49 drams.
Session of CSTO Council of Defense Ministers held online
17:47, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The session of the Council of Defense Ministers of the CSTO member states was held in a video conference mode on December 1.
Armenia’s Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan also participated in the online session, the ministry told Armenpress.
During the session the defense ministers exchanged views on international and regional security issues in the CSTO collective security regions.
Armenia’s defense minister briefed his colleagues on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, specifically stressing the issue of significant cut in timetables of implementation mechanisms of crisis response in the CSTO member states. He highlighted Russia’s efforts aimed at stabilizing the military-political situation in the region, the process and efficiency of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Karabakh, the humanitarian activity, the works on returning the captured citizens, searching for the bodies of the dead and missing in action.
The defense ministers approved the decision of the CSTO collective security council on 2021-2025 military cooperation development plan of the CSTO states.
Other agenda issues were discussed during the session.
The next session is expected to take place in the first half of 2021 in Tajikistan.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
846 people returned to Artsakh in one day
18:07, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. 846 people have returned to Artsakh from Armenia in one day by the mediation of the Russian servicemen conducting peacekeeping mission in Nagorno Karabakh, Russian defense ministry’s official representative Igor Konashenkov said, RIA Novosti reports.
“846 people have returned to Karabakh from Armenia in one day by the mediation of the Russian peacekeepers. More than 26,000 refugees have already returned to their homes”, he said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Iranian Embassy ready to continue close cooperation with Office of Armenia’s Prosecutor General
18:21, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan received today Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, the Office of the Prosecutor General told Armenpress.
Artur Davtyan congratulated the Iranian Ambassador on assuming the mission in Armenia. He stated that the relations between Armenia and Iran are at a high level in all areas, including the legal partnership sphere.
In turn the Iranian Ambassador thanked for the warm welcome and affirmed the readiness of the Embassy to continue the close and highly effective cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia.
At the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues relating to the development of the bilateral cooperation.
The Iranian Ambassador thanked Armenia’s law enforcement agencies for the attitude towards the Iranian citizens. He expressed confidence that after the cessation of the military operations the stabilization of the situation will enable Iran and Armenia to implement the planned joint projects, stating that Iran views Armenia as an old friend and a “secure window”.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Putin to chair CSTO Collective Security Council meeting
18:18, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. President of Russia Vladimir Putin will chair the meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s Collective Security Council via videoconference scheduled on December 2, the Kremlin reports.
Participants in the meeting will discuss allied interaction within the organization and further efforts to improve the efficiency of the CSTO. They will also exchange opinions on current issues of international and regional security.
The key decisions of the session participants will be reflected in a final declaration and other documents.
Lavrov says doesn’t see deliberate delay in exchange of bodies of NK war victims and POWs
19:00, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Moscow doesn’t see deliberate delay in the exchange process of the bodies of those killed in Karabakh and the prisoners of war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the online session of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, RIA Novosti reports.
“It’s difficult to say that a deliberate action is taken to prolong that process. We do not see it, but it’s a fact that there are objective difficulties, but I hope they will be solved quickly”, the Russian FM said.
He added that the geography of the territory and how the hostilities have developed make it difficult to quickly solve the issue, especially when there are no concrete lists of missing persons.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenian PM’s chief advisor departs for Syunik province
19:12, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian prime minister’s chief advisor Arayik Harutyunyan has departed for Syunik province on a business trip.
The decision has been signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Arayik Harutyunyan will be in Syunik province until December 4.
The PM’s decision, however, doesn’t mention the reason of sending Harutyunyan to Syunik on a business trip.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
No issue of handing over any village of Syunik province is being discussed, deputy governor says
19:56, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. No issue of handing over any village of Armenia’s Syunik province to Azerbaijan is being discussed, Deputy governor of Syunik Narek Babayan said on Facebook.
“At this moment the roads of Syunik province, Kapan-Goris highway are safe, the borders of the province are under control and safe, no demarcation works are being carried out in the province, no issue of handing over any village of the province is being discussed, the Kapan airport will remain in the territory of the Kapan community”, he said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
MP Samsonyan applies to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly over case of Armenian POWs
20:22, 1 December, 2020
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament from the opposition Bright Armenia faction Ani Samsonyan has applied to Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Third Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues Kyriakos Hadjiyianni over the case of Armenian servicemen who are currently in the Azerbaijani captivity.
“As a member of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly I have applied to Chair of the Assembly’s Third Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues Kyriakos Hadjiyianni over the issue of our captives”, the lawmaker said on social media, adding that she has also provided the videos showing inhuman treatment against the Armenian POWs.
She expressed hope that the Committee chaired by a Cyprus colleague will examine the issue.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan