Head of the Republican Party of Armenia Faction in the Parliament will be appointed as Speaker of the Parliament, a local Hraparak newspaper writes.

 Armenia's economy is still below the pre-crisis level in comparable figures and in terms of US dollars, amid threefold growth of the state debt and significant growth of poverty. Such results are not a matter of boasting, indeed, second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan said in an interview with 2rd.am, when commenting on Serzh Sargsyan's positive assessment of the 12th prime minister Tigran Sargsyan's performance.   

 The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Executive Body will meet on 26 April.  The candidates for the post of the parliament speaker and some ministers may be named at the meeting, RPA told ArmInfo.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited the Teghut copper and molybdenum mine in the framework of his visit to Lori region on Saturday.

Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan held on Saturday a conference of heads of government agencies and members of the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia.

Well-known French filmmaker Robert Gedikian is in Armenia to shoot a film about the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Government will shortly appear with a legislative initiative to ease the tax burden on SMEs, reports 168 Zham newspaper.

The new prime minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan will shortly urge high-ranking officials and parliamentarians to refuse from increase in their salaries, according to a local newspaper "168 Zham"

 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has appointed David Haroutiunyan as Government Chief of Staff. Previously, Haroutiunyan headed the Parliament Committee for State and Legal Affairs. 

According to the results of 2013, VTB Bank (Armenia) increased its credit portfolio to legal persons by 39.8% - up to 144.0 billion AMD.  As Director General of the Bank, Yuri Gusev, said at today's press-conference, the share of the bank at the corporative clients crediting market was 11.7% according to the results of 2013. 

 According to the results of 2013, VTB Bank (Armenia) has become the leader on the aggregate credits - 12,2% of the banking crediting market, Director General of the Bank, Yuri Gusev, said at today's press-conference. 

 In 2013 VTB Bank (Armenia) registered the most intensive growth in car loan provision among the Armenian banks. Last year the Bank's car loan portfolio grew by over 70% to 3.4 bln AMD.

VTB Bank (Armenia) and MasterCard have launched a new campaign to stimulate noncash card transactions, CEO of VTB Bank (Armenia) Yuri Gusev told journalists on Friday.

 In 2013 VTB Bank (Armenia) was among the top three Armenian banks in terms of retail business. At today's press conference, Director General of VTB Bank (Armenia) Yuri Gusev said that in 2013 the Bank's position in personal deposits rose by two points to the second place. The Bank's share in the market of personal deposits grew from 9.6% to 10.9%. In 2013 the relative growth in personal deposits made up 39.9% (101.6 bln AMD). 

 The "I'm Against" civic initiative has refused to start negotiations on the mandatory accumulative pension system with Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan.      
ArmInfo's correspondent reports from the scene that thousands of protesters against the given pension system have gathered near the presidential palace and demand that the Constitutional Court's decision should be carried out immediately. In particular, they demand that the transfer of pension contributions should be stopped and the money already transferred to the pension funds should be given back to the citizens. 

 Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan has promised the members of the "I'm Against" civic initiative that he will present a mutually agreeable decision on the pension reforms before late July. 

 Minister of Economy Vahram Avanesyan has refuted its Thursday statement talking to journalists, Friday. To recall, Vahram Avanesyan told journalists on 17 April that during the next meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk on Apr 29, Armenia would sign an agreement to access the Customs Union.

 "We will be very happy if Armenia refuses to join the Customs Union," Frank Engel, a Member of the European Parliament and of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, told reporters, in Yerevan, Friday.

European Parliament hasadopted a resolution condemning the recent attacks against religious and ethnic communities and the suffering of women and children in Syria.

 Areximbank - Gazprombank Group is offering substantial accounts and free of charge plastic cards ahead of the tourism season.