Ameriabank intends to increase its loan book in the Stepanakert branch by 10 mln USD within the next two years owing to SME lending and new retail products in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Chairman of the Management Board-General Director of Ameriabank CJSC Artak Hanesyan said during the opening of the upgraded office of the Stepanakert branch on September 8.  

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will meet the Armenian parliamentarians on September 10. According to some media reports, at a closed session to start at 10:30 am, Nalbandian will answer the parliamentarians' questions about Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union.

 In Jan-July 2013 the inflow of private non-commercial transfers of individuals via the banking system of Armenia grew more than 5-fold as compared with Jan- July 2012, while outflow grew almost 8-fold. As a result, the net inflow amounted to $766.1 mln in Jan- July 2013 (5-fold y-o-y growth). The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) reports that in Jan-July 2013 Armenia received $1.2 bln transfers. The share of non-commercial transfers was $942 mln. The outflow from Armenia amounted to $461.4 mln, and the share of non-commercial transfers was $175.9 mln. Both the inflow and the outflow increased.

 President of the United States Barack Obama has sent a letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, APA reports quoting AzerTAc news agency. 

The vice-speaker of Armenian parliament, press-secretary of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, Edward Sharmazanov, called the first president of Armenia, the leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, a political pensioner.

VTB Bank (Armenia) registered the biggest loan book in Armenia's banking system in Jan-June 2013.

 Perhaps, Armenia and the European Union will sign a cooperation document in the format which does not contradict the Customs Union, an expert of the Centre for National and International Studies, political analyst, Edgar Vardanyan, said at today's press-conference.

 Civic activists fighting against the Indoor Market's transformation into a supermarket will continue pressing the authorities and the developer to settle the problem, but they will avoid clashes with the supporters of the construction, Pre-Parliament Spokesperson Varuzhan Avetisyan told media, Monday.

 As it was expected, the first day of the Armenian parliament's session started from the stormy discussion of the problem of Armenia's joining the Customs Union.

 Pre-Parliament Spokesperson Varuzhan Avetisyan says the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) might be behind release of civic activist Dmitry Haroutiunyan. He told media, Monday, the measure of restraint against the activist has been changed. 

The decision of the owners of the trade net "Armenia" to extend their presence at the Georgian market has caused strong displeasure of Azerbaijanis living in Tbilisi, in particular, the employees of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tbilisi located at Gorgasali street where a new Armenian store will be opened. 

 "Russian boot" and "Russian bear" expressions should disappear from ANC's lexicon, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Leader of the Armenian National Congress Party (ANC), former president of Armenia, said at the meeting of ANC Party Board.

 Our leaders have adopted a decision to transfer to the new integration stage - towards the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015. At present we have been preparing an agreement about the Eurasian Economic Union, Russian president's advisor, Sergey Glazyev, told "Ekho Moskvy" radio. 

The new US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, James Warlick, arrived in Baku on 8 September on a three-day visit, contact.az said. 

 Brussels will not burn bridges with Yerevan and will not refuse to cooperate with Armenia amid hopes for future success, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Leader of the Armenian National Congress Party (ANC), former president of Armenia, said at the meeting of ANC Party Board. 

Consultations on Armenia should be continued to assess the current situation, Linas Linkevichus, Foreign Minister of Lithuania - country holding the European Union presidency - said when discussing Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union and perspectives of Armenia-EU relations with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian in Vilnius.  Edward Nalbandian, in turn, reaffirmed Armenia's willingness to continue close cooperation with the European Union in different directions, to the extent that would be appropriate for the EU and so that it would not contradict Armenia's decision to join the Customs Union

 The first after summer holidays plenary session of the European Parliament will start September 9-12 in Strasbourg. 

Mr. Hristea, Armenia and the EU are expected to sign an Association Agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November 2013. What will be the next step of the Armenia-EU cooperation? 

Over 30 Armenian NGOs have adopted a statement about the acts of intimidation towards Armenian civic activists.

The exhibition hall of the Painters' Union of Armenia will host Art Raccord, an exhibition of works by contemporarily Russian and Ukrainian photographers, on October 15. The exhibition will present the photos by Mikhail Kalamkarov, Margarita Fedina, Svetlana Myslyvets, Maxim Zheleznyakov, Dmitry Kuklin and many others.