YEREVAN, March 15. / ARKA /. Armenian Araratbank was named today by NASDAQ OMX Armenia stock exchange as its best member in 2012. It was the third award ceremony of the stock exchange.

“We want to encourage the most active members of the exchange, dedicated to the development of the capital market in Armenia," NASDAQ OMX executive director, Konstantin Saroyan, said at the award ceremony.

Speaking of the most significant events in the Armenian Stock Exchange last year, Saroyan singled out introduction of long-term lending platforms, currency bond tools, IBM system servers, upgrading the trading floors and the accession to GlobeNewswire system.

Other members of the exchanges were also awarded by NASDAQ OMX Armenia in various categories. Armenbrok Invetsment was named the best member of the exchange in the category of corporate securities market; Araratbank was recognized the best member of the stock exchange in the government bonds market, as well as the best in credit market resources. Ameriabank was named the best participant in the foreign exchange market.

NASDAQ OMX Armenia is the name of the Armenian Stock Exchange ojsc (renamed on January 27, 2009), however, it is also used to refer jointly to the stock exchange and the Central Depository of Armenia ojsc (CDA), as both companies have been members of the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. since early 2008. NASDAQ OMX Armenia and the CDA are the major securities market infrastructure institutions in Armenia. Since their inception in 2000, both companies had operated as self-regulatory organizations established by member broker companies, up until demutualization in 2007. NASDAQ OMX Armenia is a part of the world's largest exchange company, the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. --0---