General information about ARB

Association of Russian Banks (ARB) is a non-governmental non-commercial organization that unites commercial banks and other credit organizations, as well as organizations involved in the functioning of finance-and-credit system of the Russian Federation.

The ARB Founding Congress took place in Moscow on March 27-28, 1991.

As of 31 July 2010 the Association of Russian Banks totals 714 members including 545 credit organizations that have 2964 branches.

The ARB represents the interests of both: the biggest banks (all of the top 30 banks are the ARB members) and medium and small banks (10% of the ARB member banks have the registered capital under 30 mln. roubles, 47% - from 30 to 300 mln. roubles). 55 banks with 100% foreign participation in the registered capital, 17 banks with foreign participation over 50% in the registered capital, 15 foreign banks’ representations and all of the Big Auditing Four are among the ARB members.

The ARB actively cooperates with 49 regional banking associations and unions as well as with banking communities of 19 Russian regions. A General Agreement on consolidating efforts for developing and strengthening the Russian banking system was signed on the ARB initiative at the First All-Russian Meeting of banking associations on October 7th, 2002. At present the number of its participants counts 68.

On April 5th, 2007 the XVII ARB Congress adopted a Program “The National Banking System of Russia 2010-2020”. The ARB succeeded in working out a medium-term and a long-term banking system development strategy jointly with member banks.

This was reflected in the decisions of the RF State Council Presidium meeting on November 14th, 2006, as well as in the Mandates of the RF President Vladimir Putin to the RF Government, the Bank of Russia with the participation of the ARB on increasing the banks’ role in implementing national projects and the socio-economic development of Russian regions. At present the ARB is preparing proposals on highlight measures for strengthening the banking system in close cooperation with the RF Government and the Bank of Russia. These measures include raising banks’ capitalization, enlarging resource base, protection of creditors’ rights and others.

The ARB carries out a large amount of law project work suggesting amendments to legislative acts and by-laws and promoting them in the State Duma, the RF Government, the Bank of Russia, other authorities; works on improving tax legislation.

The ARB provides consulting and information services to its members; every two weeks ARB members receive “ARB Vestnik” (ARB News) and every two months “Banks and Technology” magazine. 23 committees and 5 working groups operate on the main directions of banking activities within the Association with the participation of the ARB member banks.

A new line of activity has been recently set up within the ARB framework - “Inter-bank business cooperation” - to solve the problems of bilateral and multilateral relations between partner banks and non-bank organizations, servicing the banking business (“VEK” Legal Advice Bureau, Arbitration Court, National Credit Histories Bureau, “Amulet” Security Service, Credit Promotion Agency and others), and to deal with agency between Moscow and regional banks in promoting banking projects in the Russian regions.

Since 1997 the Association of Russian Banks has been an associated member of the European Banking Federation.

ARB contact information:

Tel. 007 (495) 690-0580, fax - 691-6666

e-mail: arb@arb.ru