Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Moscow Bank for Reconstruction and Development (MBRD) intends to acquire a bank in Armenia##.

Mediamax reports that the Chairman of the Board of MBRD Sergey Zaitsev said this in an interview to Interfax. According to him, in 2008, MBRD plans to invest in deals on acquiring about $570mln.

“This sum is enough to conclude two-three such deals in Russia or the CIS states. Priority regions for the expansion are Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Armenia, where the positions of AFK “Sistema” Company are strong”, Sergey Zaitsev stated.

The main shareholder of MBRD, entering the number of 50 largest banks of Russia as to the volume of the owned capital and the net assets, is the AFK “Sistema” Corporation.

Mediamax notes that on March 31 of 2008 the Head of AFK “Sistema” Vladimir Yevtushenkov stated in an interview to “Vedomosti” newspaper:

“We have already purchased a Luxemburg bank, we are preparing acquisitions in Armenia, in Uzbekistan and in Belarus – as a result we plan to cover most CIS states”.

Mediamax notes that AFK “Sistema” already owns large assets in Armenia – 80% share of the Armenian “VivaCell” mobile operator belongs to MTS Company, which enters “Sistema”, and another company of the holding – “Comstar-OTS”, owns Armenian “Cornet-AM” internet-provider.