OREANDA-NEWS. April 11, 2008. Vladimir Romanov, Chairman of the Management Board of Bank Electronika, took part in the XIX Congress of the Association of Russian Banks. The congress occurred on April 2, 2008, in the House of Unions’ Column Hall.
“Expansion of Credit – the Most Crucial Factor in Russia’s Economic Growth” was the key issue on the agenda of the congress.

Presenting his report, President of the ARB Garegin Tosunyan, noted that “the theme of the congress’s agenda affects the interests not only of the banking system but of the economy of Russia as a whole. The country is developing rapidly, and we can say that the financial-credit system has made its contributions to that end – exerting tremendous influence on the economy, the quality of life, the formation of a middle class, and the progressive development of our society.”

Today the ARB constitutes an entire system, uniting more than 96 percent of the banking market of Russia. The collective efforts of members of the association have played no small role in the achievements of the banking system.

Others who made presentations during the congress: Ishtavan Lendel, General Secretary of the Association of Banks of Central Europe; Sergei Ignatyev, Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia; Arkady Dvorkovich, head of the Presidential Experts Directorate of the Presidential Executive Office; Vladimir Milovidov, head of the Federal Financial Markets Service; Alexander Torshin, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation; Vladimir Vasilyev, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security; Alexander Zhukov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation; Dmitry Ananyev, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee for Financial Markets and Currency Circulation; Yuri Roslyak, First Deputy Mayor of Moscow; Abel Aganbegyan, Rector of the Academy of the National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation and Academic, Russian Academy of Sciences; Mikhail Mamuta, President of the Russian Microfinace Center; Muhammad Yunus, Professor of Economics and Nobel Prize winner; and heads of Russian and Western European banks.

 Vladimir Romanov devoted his presentation to issues of banking security, in particular, the interaction of credit organizations’ special services with federal security agencies in verifying borrowers and other groups of clients during initial processing of applications and realization of banking operations.

Congress attendees unanimously approved the theses of the ARB, “Expansion of Credit – the Most Crucial Factor in Russia’s Economic Growth.” It directed the ARB to polish the theses with consideration for discussions during the congress and to bring them to the attention of the President of the Russian Federation, the Federal Assembly, and the Government and Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

“The level of mutual understanding between the banking community and the executive and legislative authorities is very high,” Vladimir Romanov noted. “And all the initiatives that the association is bringing forth today were synchronized earlier. They have been heard by the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance, and the Government and are in various stages of realization. I believe that cooperation of all structures will do a great deal to improve the situation in the country.”

The congress resolved to continue work to realize the program National Banking System of Russia 2010-2020, including the positions that issue from decisions of this congress.

The XIX Congress of the ARB endorsed a new edition of the Code of Ethical Principles of Banking Business and approved the Annual Report of Activities of the Association of Russian Banks for 2007 and the resolution for changes in the composition of the Board of Directors of the ARB.

More than 1,000 delegates and guests took part in the XIX Congress of the ARB – heads and executives of commercial banks, representatives of the administrations of the President, Government, both chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, federal ministries and agencies, the Bank of Russia, corporate associations, the scientific community, and foreign business circles. More than 200 Russian and foreign journalists covered the work of the congress.

Bank Electronika was an official sponsor of the annual forum of the largest and most authoritative banking union in the country.

Delegates to the congress received many greetings, among them were greetings from the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Council of Federation Sergei Mironov, Chairman of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov, and Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov.