During the visit of the delegation of the International Investment Bank on January 25-26, 2016 to Bucharest, Chairman of the Board, Nikolay Kosov, met with Romania’s Minister of Public Finance, Anca Dragu, and a business seminar was organised by the Ministry for Romanian companies with the aim of presenting to them the opportunities for obtaining financial assistance for developing their business.

The dialogue with the Minister regarding the current agenda proceeded on a highly positive note, especially in light of Romania’s accession to the new statutory documents of the Bank in July 2015 and of IIB’s growing investment activities in the country. Concluding the meeting, Ms. Dragu praised the Bank’s results and pledged full support for IIB’s further development.

The seminar, which took place at the initiative and with support of the Ministry of Public Finance, the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Relations with the Business Environment, and the Romanian Association of Exporters, attracted around 80 representatives of Romanian businesses.

Deputy Chairman of the IIB Board (on behalf of Romania), Alexandru Florescu, presented an overview of IIB’s activities, emphasizing the possibilities it can offer to Romanian companies, above all, in relation to expanding their business both inside the country and in other IIB member states. Other presenters included the Bank’s already traditional partners – the European Investment Bank, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, and EximBank Romania. After the event, moderated by the head of the Romanian delegation in the IIB Council and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Finance, Attila Gyorgy, a series of bilateral meetings took place with those interested in working with the Bank.

Since its relaunch at the end of 2012, the renewed IIB has returned to supporting economic development in all its member countries, including Romania. After signing a credit line for BT Leasing Transilvania in 2013, last year Romania became one of the leading destinations for IIB’s investments – currently signed agreements with Romanian borrowers amount to EUR 35 million, with another EUR 30 million worth of projects currently being reviewed.

The presentation in Romania was already the second conducted in such format. Earlier, in November 2015, a similar presentation of the IIB took place in Prague, supported by the Czech Ministry of Finance. The next event will take place at the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic in the end of February. The success of the Romanian event is also reflected in the decision to organise another such presentation of the IIB in the near future in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, where expected participants include companies involved in trade between Romania and Hungary.