YEREVAN, May 14./ARKA/. ARKA News Agency was awarded Tuesday the certificate of honor by the Union of Armenian Banks for its active participation in the comprehensive coverage of economic, financial and banking developments in the republic.

It is the first time The Union has awarded the media which have actively and professionally covered the sphere in 2012. Giving the certificate to ARKA Director Konstantin Petrosov, the Union’s head Ashot Osipyan said ARKA is today  the most active and unbiased media source that covers the ongoing financial and economic processes in the republic.

“We have passed a long way together, since the 1990s. I have always been satisfied with your work, since the times when you were reporting about privatization in Armenia and the first steps of the financial market. Today, you are the most active and unbiased media that helps our citizens to realize what economic processes are going on in the country,” Osipyan said and noted the role of ARKA as some bridge between the Armenian and Russian financial markets.

Osipyan highlighted the important role of mass media in setting the public mood which has an immense importance for the development of the banking sector and the financial market of Armenia. The head of the Union also noted it is necessary to support those media sources which “can analyze and inform based on an unbiased approach.”

On his side, Petrosov thanked the administration of the Union for recognizing all the accomplishments of the agency which has been operating for over 17 years.

“We think the development of high-quality mass media can raise the prestige of Armenia as the information about the republic will be better perceived by the international community,” he said.
The certification of honor was also awarded to ArmInfo and Mediamax agencies, Golos Armenii (Voice of Armenia) newspaper, ArmNews TV channel for “Business News” program, Yerkir Media TV channel for “Capital” program, Armenia TV channel for “Sur ankyun” (Acute angle) program and Kentron TV channel for the economic sector of “Epikentron” program.

In addition, some special awards of the Union’s head were awarded to the brightest journalists, such as Ashot Aramyan (Golos Armenii), Babken Tunyan (“168” newspaper), Armenak Chatinyan (Orakarg newspaper) and Ruben Harutyunyan (Mediamax agency).

ARKA News Agency opened on May 1, 1996, is specializing in covering financial and economic news. Today ARKA media holding includes telecommunication and high-tech portal telecom.arka.am and a financial and banking portal armbanks.am.

ARKA News Agency was declared the Best Economic Agency of Armenia as of 2000 by the Central Bank of Armenia. In the years of 2002 and 2003, Business Initiative Directions organization awarded ARKA News Agency  the International Star Award for Quality in Gold category. In 2011 ARKA was nominated by Europe Business Assembly (EBA) for the International award “Best Enterprises” for the dynamics of the company’s growth in its branch over 15 years of its operation in Armenia.”

In addition,  ARKA Agency Director Konstantin Petrosov was awarded the Medal of Prime Minister by Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan in connection with the 15th anniversary of the agency and for the active role in covering economic issues of the country.–0–