Rostelecom has expanded the network of acceptance of payments through the banks. The company has told ArmInfo that from now on the individual subscribers of Rostelecom can pay for the company's services through Converse Bank, Armeconombank, Areximbank- Gazprombank Group, ArmBusinessBank and the branches of the specified banks.

"Along with the growth in the number of subscribers in Armenia, Rostelecom is also enhancing the service quality. We give high priority to ensuring of convenient conditions for customer service.  The company's software is integrated with the banks, and this facilitates the process of acceptance of payments for the residents of not only Yerevan but also the marzes. Service quality enhancement and network expansion are among the priority directions in the company's development. Some more banks will be involved in the process in the near future", said Hayk Faramazyan, CEO of "GNC-ALFA" CJSC.

To recall, Rostelecom is one of the largest national telecommunications operators in Russia and Europe.  The Group operates in all segments of the telecommunications market and covers more than 34 million households. Rostelecom is an undisputable leader of the broadband and pay-TV markets in Russia with over 10.6 million fixed-line broadband subscribers and over 7.5 million pay-TV subscribers. The Group is a market leader in providing telecommunications services to government bodies and corporates of all levels.  It is also an important innovator that provides solutions in the field of medicine, E-Government, cloud computing, education, security and housing & utility services. Rostelecom was assigned 'BBB-' and 'BB+' international credit ratings by Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's respectively.

"GNC-ALFA" CJSC was founded in 2007. The company became a member of Rostelecom group of companies in February 2012 and since 18 December 2012 it has been providing telecommunication services in RA under "Rostelecom" brand as a subsidiary company. Being one of the leading telecommunications companies Rostelecom Armenia already provides internet access, fixed telephony services and TV services available to both physical bodies and corporate clients. The network of Rostelecom Armenia is solely based on fiber-optic cable (FOC) infrastructure covering 80% of the territory of RA and spreading for over 2500km. It is connected to region's main terrestrial networks and largest traffic exchange nodes as well as international channels of Iran and Georgia. The corporate client list of the company includes not just a number of local Banks and Corporations, but also the Government of Republic of Armenia, state institutions and international organizations.

A baby was born in Armenia with a parasitic twin fetus, a local Haykakan Zhamanak Daily writes.

Lower chamber of the Kazakh parliament has approved ratification of the treaty on Armenia's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union, Novosti-Kazakhstan said.

Since early morning today, drivers of the public mini-buses No73 have blocked the main road from the Nor-Nork district in Yerevan to the city center.

Armenia's Central Bank is not planning prescheduled revision of its refinancing rate, the CB's Chairman Artur Javadyan told journalists on Wednesday.

For the moment USD rate is overvalued while AMD rate is undervalued, Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia Artur Javadyan told journalists on Wednesday.

The Armenian market has never faced such a crisis before, President of the Union of Small Enterprises of Armenia Stepan Aslanyan told journalists on Wednesday.

The EBRD is lending US$ 9.3 million to Shen Holding, one of the largest and leading building materials manufacturer and gypsum mine operator in Armenia and a long standing EBRD client.

 Nikol Pashinyan, MP from the Armenian National Congress (ANC) Faction, has refused to sign the statement prepared jointly with the representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). To note, on Tuesday evening the Armenian Parliament convened an extraordinary session to adopt the text of the statement condemning the attack on MP Aram Manukyan. The text was prepared by ARF Dashnaktsutyun and the RPA.           

VTB Bank (Armenia) and MasterCard are launching a joint bonus campaign for the MasterCard holders among the customers of VTB Bank (Armenia). The press service of the Bank has told ArmInfo that by paying with MasterCards at any trade and service outlets from 15 Dec 2014 till 15 Mar 2015, the customers of VTB Bank (Armenia) will be accumulating bonus points and will get an opportunity to win a prize: a 500 thsd AMD certificate for purchasing household appliances, a trip to Sri Lanka for two persons or a Renault Logan. A total of 100 cardholders, who accumulate the highest number of points, will take part in the draw. 

Beeline announces the introduction of online queuing management systems in 14 more sales and service offices in Yerevan and regions.  

Cigaronne SPS is actively restoring its foreign contacts with a view to export its products to Russia, Ukraine and the CIS. It also has exports to the United States, Iran and Iraq, the company's representative Never Sargsyan told journalists on Tuesday.

At the initiative of Ayb School, on December 14, international The Hour of Code event was held at the school. This event was organized for the first time in Armenia, with the joint support from VivaCell-MTS, UITE and Microsoft. 

The parliamentary factions of Armenian National Congress (ANC) and Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) refuse to support the Parliament's statement condemning the attack on ANC parliamentarian Aram Manukyan. Head of the ANC Faction thinks the authorities, who have prepared the text of the statement, are behind the attack on Aram Manukyan. Otherwise, Chief of Armenian Police Vladimir Gasparyan would have resigned, he said.     

 The latest attacks on the Artsakh War veterans Suren Sargsyan, Razmik Petrosyan and Manvel Yegiazaryan as well as on Aram Manukyan, MP from the Armenian National Congress (ANC), fit into the policy and work style of the Eurasian Economic Union, Hovhanness Igityan, a member of the ANC Board, told reporters, Tuesday, Igityan says the attacked Artsakh War veterans are the people who are able to consolidate and severely punish those who attacked them. The expert believes that such attacks are connected with Armenia's accession to the EEU, as such measures are practiced in Russia and other countries.  "Aram Manukyan voted for accession to the EEU. The attack on him was one of the fruits of that choice," he said.

 The Board of Directors of South Caucasus Railway CJSC met in Moscow on Dec 12 under the presidency of CEO of Russian Railways OJCS Vladimir Yakunin.

 Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov claims that the Sarsang Reservoir can trigger humanitarian, environmental and man-caused disasters. The minister made such statement when receiving a delegation led by Milisa Markovich, PACE rapporteur on "the deliberate deprivation of the residents of Azerbaijan's borderline areas of water." 

The Russia-West confrontation seems to grow with every coming day. Do you anticipate any improvements in 2015 given the emerging trends in the EU countries?

 Deputy Head of Armenia's nuclear power plant (NPP) Rubik Movsisyan is charged with Articles 179 and 190.3.1 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (embezzlement of extremely large amounts of money, misappropriation of property), National Security Service of Armenia Artsvin Baghramyan told ArmInfo. 

 The shift in Russia's foreign policy from the West to the East is a pledge of the West's defeat, Mateusz Piskorski, Director of the European Center of Geopolitical Analysis, told ArmInfo on Monday.