Presentation of the International Investment Bank’s (IIB) products and services was in the centre of the business seminar organised by the International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) in Vienna, Austria, on April 13, 2016. The event was set up by the ITFA Regional Committee for Central and Eastern Europe with the participation of more than 40 representatives of major international banking groups present in the region, including OTP, Raiffeisen, Erste, UniCredit and Sberbank.

Representative of the IIB European Regional Office (ERO), Csaba Pasztor, gave an overview of the Bank's business after the reform in 2012, and presented its main services sought-after by European customers and partners. He noted that the operations of the multilateral development institution focus on supporting the stability of the EU’s financial system, developing local capital markets through domestic issues of IIB bonds and fostering economic integration. The ERO is a hub for already ongoing projects, for attracting new investors and for interacting with institutional clients.

Guests at the seminar expressed particular interest in the presentation of IIB’s financial products for foreign trade operations in Central and Eastern Europe, presented by Anton Aleksandrov, a representative of the Bank’s Structured and Debt Finance Department. The discussion concluded that in the context of a slowing global economy international trade remains one of the main drivers for GDP growth in CEE and these types of services are very much in demand.

Participants also discussed the situation and operational risks in the banking sector in CEE and Russia and other issues on the agenda of the business community.

The CEE region represents a priority for IIB’s activities, which, under the renewed mandate, cover diversification of the loan portfolio, promoting international trade and investments in small and medium-sized businesses. IIB’s head office in Moscow and the ERO actively promote the Bank’s products and services in European countries. Only in April, in addition to the ITFA seminar in Vienna, representatives of the Bank made a keynote speech on cooperation with other multilateral development institutions at the 32nd Regional Banking Conference of the Banking Association for Central and Eastern Europe (BACEE). The event was held in Budapest, Hungary, and was devoted to the prospects of the CEE banking sector.