YEREVAN, MAY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. NSBC Bank Armenia CJSC intends to turn its National Service Center to open soon into a regional center providing practical services, deputy CEO of the bank Irina Seylanian stated. In her words, the bank shareholders considered HSBC Bank Armenia's success, its qualified staff and the favorable banking legislation of Armenia as prerequisites for the creation of such a center in the country. She expressed an opinion that efficiet operation of the center may be impeded by the current difference among banking legislations of Armenia and other countries, in particular, CIS states. The matter first of all concerns regulation of the exchange of information. The conference participant, prime minister Tigran Sargsian explained that the indicated issue is related to the use of stricter rules on the exchange of information in the context of the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. On the other hand, customers demand that the data on their money not be made public. According to the prime minister, some banks of the Arab world want to move from Lebanon to Armenia - on condition that information about their customers is confidential. He added that this requirement of customers will be a subject of joint discussions of the Central Bank of Armenia and other banks. The Armenian president Serge Sargsian in his turn assured those present that "we will ensure political and legislative assistance" for implementation of the initiative of HSBC Bank Armenia. "We just need your proposals to know what legislative amendments we should make and what agreements we should sign," he said.

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