On September 4, the Minister of economic development and investments of Armenia, Artsvik MINASYAN, discussed partnership in export insurance with the chief insurance officer of Malakut-Trade Credit Insurance, Audrius ROSINASI, and Magnus NIGZHET, a Swiss Re representative, responsible for the export insurance line in Armenia, said ArmInfo.

Armenian market increased in local currency by 29.64% to AMD 22 billion (~EUR 39 million) in 1H2018, based on the data of ArmInfo portal. At that, growth rate of paid claims exceeded premiums and amounted to 34.91%.

Based on the 1H2018 results, the growth rate of corporate insurance lines significantly increased from 8.5% to 58.2%, outperforming the individual insurance segment (2.7% to 6% increase), so that the share of this insurance in portfolio of local insurers reached 55.3%, wrote ArmInfo portal.

In Armenia as of July 1 this year loss ratio in MTPL and health insurance increased (from 55.6% to 67% and from 41.7% to 42.5% respectivelly), and Motor Hull saw an opposite trend- decline of loss ratio (70.6% vs 78.6% compared to the same period last year), wrote ArmInfo portal.

In Q1 2018 Armenian insurers generated about 14 billion AMD of premiums, while in European currency this volume amounted to almost EUR 24 million, according to the information provided by ArmInfo news agency.

The Head of the Armenian office of the World Health Organization (WHO), Egor ZAYTSEV announced that WHO will render technical assistance to Armenia in expansion of health insurance, as informed by ArmInfo.

During the first 3 months Armenian market generated AMD 14.1 billion of premiums, which is 47.6% more than e year before, paid claims amounted to AMD 5.7 billion (+36.9%), according to ArmInfo agency.

MTPL loss ratio may amount to 70% by the end of 2018, said ArmInfo with reference to the market forecast of the General Manager of the Armenian Bureau of Motor Insurers, Vaan AVETISYAN.

Claims expenses growth exceeded by far the GWP increasing pace in 2017, in the Armenian market. Thus, while paid claims went up by 24.9% - against 4.9% growth in 2016 -, GWP saw a y-o-y growth rate of only 6.2%, slightly improved as compared with the previous year (5%).

In 3Q 2017, gros premiums written by the local insurers have grown slightly, by 3.78%, to AMD 24,562.59 million (EUR 43.5 million), according to ArmInfo Agency data.

End investors, Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS) funds, and buyers - the three groups active in ILS - have predominantly weathered 2017 loss activity with a view that reinsurance products backed by 'alternative' capital have become mainstream, according to a new Global ILS Market Survey by Willis Towers Watson.

Swiss Re expects the global reinsurance industry to consolidate as the distinction between insurers and reinsurers become increasingly blurred, an executive from the Swiss Group said in Baden Baden, reports Reuters.

Current market conditions are putting increasing pressure on returns with some companies viewing consolidation as a potential solution, James NASH, CEO of International at Guy Carpenter said in his opening remarks at the Baden-Baden 2018 Reinsurance Meeting hosted by the global risk and reinsurance specialist.

E+S Ruckversicherung AG, the Hannover Re Group's unit handling German business, continues to expect a positive premium development in the German market for the January 2019 renewals, albeit at a somewhat more diminished pace than in 2018.

The market volume for cyber insurance is expected to grow up to USD 8-9 billion by 2020, Doris HOEPKE, member of Munich Re's Board of Management stressed in Baden Baden adding that, "The demand for cyber risk cover is growing continuously. We therefore see it as our duty to develop solutions."

After severe storm damage in Japan and the United States, Munich Re is looking with a little more optimism to the next renewal season. "I expect at least a stable renewal round in 2019," Board member Doris HOEPKE said in Baden-Baden. Until recently the reinsurer's expectations were leaning towards a stagnant season.

"You don't have to be big to be beautifully relevant or financially successful, but you do have to be focused," Pina ALBO, Group CEO of Hamilton Insurance Group said, addressing the question of whether bigger is necessarily better at the Reinsurance Symposium in Baden-Baden.

Five new titles are available this year on the XPRIMM Baden-Baden press stands opened in the Kurhaus Casino and in Baden Baden main locations, presenting the latest statistical data and comprehensive analysis for the CEE, SEE and CIS insurance markets.