Saturday, 22 November 2008
RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's Message on Banker's Day and 15th Anniversary of Issue of Armenian Dram
Allow me to extend my congratulations on Banker's Day and on the 15th anniversary of the issue of Armenian dram. This day is the best opportunity for us to retrospect and summarize the achievements of the ever developing financial sector and banking system in Armenia.
As short as it is, the path covered by Armenia's banking system was quite eventful. The formation of the banks and the national currency issue in the newly independent country were part of a nationwide will to build a new Armenia. The engineering of the financial and banking system was tied up to many difficulties. The public's mistrust in domestic banking institutions and in the national currency was among the main challenges of the time. Such notions as "national currency" "savings" "loan" "bank transfer" were alien to the citizens of the former Soviet Union, with people having some difficulty in getting used to them. Owing to goal-oriented efforts and streamlined activities we managed to defy the challenges and raise the level of trust in Armenian banks and the Armenian dram.
Today we can state with pride that we have a stable and reliable national currency. This may be evidenced by:
- our financial and banking system's actual ability to withstand the global financial crisis
- and the emergence and quick expansion of a banking culture characteristic to developed countries
In reiterating my congratulations, I wish all those employed in the banking sector well-being, happiness and fruitful work.
