A regional meeting in Yerevan is likely to be the venue for discussions between Turkish and Armenian politicians to break the current stalemate in the normalization process between the two estranged neighbors, as Turkey has recently voiced its intention to normalize ties with Armenia.

 In Q3 2013 the private money transfer turnover of Areximbank- Gazprombank Group made up 337.8mln AMD (131.6mln AMD to and 206.2mln AMD from Armenia).

Starting December 9, 2013, corporate bonds issued by "SHEN HOLDING" CJSC will be listed and included in Bbond list of NASDAQ OMX Armenia.

Armenia's former premier, a member of the parliament from the opposition Armenian National Congress faction, Hrant Bagratyan, thinks that the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan, simply lies. 

 The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Business Council Board started its 47th in Yerevan on December 9.  

The civil initiative "Against Compulsory Accumulative Pensions" reports that the road police impose a fine on the drivers that took part in the initiative's protest action. The matter concerns the automobile procession that took place on December 5.   

 The first session of the "Civil contract" union board was held in Yerevan. 

 Ex-foreign minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian has refuted the rumors that he is leaving Prosperous Armenia Party and is going to establish his own political force. Oskanian wrote on his Facebook page that he will be representing the Prosperous Armenia Party at the discussions organized by the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) in Strasbourg on 11 December. 

Mr. Piontkovsky, did Russia manage to torpedo EU’s projects for the post-Soviet countries? Ukraine was the last in that list and even Yanukovich has already begun thinking of the Customs Union. 

I think such methods of Moscow will have no significant result from the strategic point of view. Moscow will achieve nothing except hatred of its neighbors. Look at Armenia. They summoned the president of Armenia, screwed his arms, probably, threatening with no more military assistance in the Karabakh conflict, and made him suspend the Association with the EU and apply for accession to the Customs Union. I think it is absurd. Where is Armenia, and where is the Customs Union?  It is not clear what kind of trade is possible inside the Union. Look back at the reaction of Kazakhstan and Belarus to Armenia’s decision. Lukashenko and Nazarbayev don’t like such political tricks of Putin either. Aspiration for enlargement of the Customs Union implies no economic benefits for Russia. These are mad imperial ambitions and colossal efforts to create a new Soviet Union. These are Moscow’s inferiority complexes. They can exert pressure on the post-Soviet countries, but no one needs a ‘chieftain’ in Moscow. Lukashenko will never agree to become secretary of the Byelorussian regional committee. It is the Kremlin’s fight for influence that gives birth of hatred of all its partners. Russia has no opportunity to become a center of positive unification. 

 ArmInfo-Turan. Housing insecurity, poor access to drinking water and irrigation, overflowing sewage, isolation from schools, work and health care - these are just a few of the problems highlighted by an EU-funded project tackling the problem of eco-migration in the Southern Caucasus, following a series of meetings with affected communities in Georgia, according to the EU Neighbourhood Info. 

 On December 6 Ameria Group organized a charity auction under the slogan "Vine is Life", which featured brandy, wine and champagne. Ameria Group traditionally redoubled the auction proceeds. As a result, over 61 mln AMD will be spent on treatment of 17 severely ill children.          

 Head of Inzhener-Yerkraban (Engineer-Geologist) LLC, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Rouben Yadoyan forecasts re-occurrence of Riga's tragedy in Yerevan. To recall, on November 21 the collapse of the roof of Maxima supermarket in Riga, Latvia, killed 54 people and injured dozens.   

 Compulsory accumulative pension system prompted another action of protest in Yerevan today on 7 December. This is not the first action of protest this week. This time, activists organized a march of protest on bikes. Several dozens of activists cycled along the city streets carrying flags "I am against," informing people on the negative aspects of the pension reform and calling everyone to join their fight. 

 The party that singles out only one of the Helsinki Principles in the Karabakh peace process threatens the regional security, and, obviously, it is not the Armenian party, Vice Speaker of Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov has told ArmInfo when commenting on Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov's statement that the main threat to peace in the region is the presence of Armenian troops in the allegedly Azeri territories. 

 Armenia's debt for the Russian gas was not a fixed amount, but was calculated during the latest negotiations. The remark came from Vache Gabrielyan, Minister-Head of the Government Staff, in response to the question from RFE/RL Armenian Service regarding Armenia's over 300mln dollars debt that has come to light only now.

 Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu will travel to Armenia on 12 December to attend the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) regional meeting in Yerevan, Today's Zaman writes. The minister told reporters about his intention to visit Armenia in Kyev.

Ameriabank has been announced the laureate of the Bank of the Year award. According to The Banker Awards, Ameriabank has been recognized the Best Bank of Armenia 2013. Ameriabank told ArmInfo the awarding ceremony was held in London on 28 November where Ameriabank leadership was awarded with a winner's certificate  and statue of Brandon Bracken, the founder of the Banker magazine. This time the competition involved 483 companies from 143 countries.

UWC Dilijan is being built on landslides and may crash down at any moment, claims Ruben Yadoyan, Head of Engineer Geologist LLC. He told media Friday that no anti-landslide measures have been taken yet.

Members of "We are against mandatory accumulative pension system" held a protest action by cars from Barekamutyun metro station through the center of Yerevan, 5 December.