On February 23, the European Regional Office of the International Investment Bank (IIB) gave a presentation of the Bank’s extended line of financial products and services at the business seminar “International Investment Bank – opportunities for Slovak businesses” organised at the premises of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic. The roundtable in Bratislava attracted more than 60 representatives of the Slovak business community, trade and export agencies, governmental bodies, as well as diplomatic and trade offices of other IIB member states.

The Slovak Minister of Economy and head of the Slovak delegation at the IIB Council, Vazil Hudak, opened the event, pointing to a number of aspects making the Bank a unique international financial institution. He also stressed the successful implementation of IIB’s strategy in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.

The Director of the European Regional Office (ERO), Igor Barat, presented an overview of IIB’s history and development, the results of the Bank’s performance since its relaunch at the end of 2012 and the Bank’s strategic priorities both in the Slovak market and in IIB’s other European member states, as well as in the EU in general. Senior Banker at the ERO, Rastislav Podhorec, gave a detailed description of IIB’s products and services with practical recommendations on how to obtain financing from the Bank.

General Director of the International Relations Department of the Slovak Ministry of Finance and member of the IIB Council, Martina Kobilicova, informed the audience about the new joint initiative of Slovakia and the IIB – the SR-IIB Technical Assistance Fund (similarly to Slovakia’s funds with the EBRD and the IFC), which shall be established in the nearest future. The Fund will become an important instrument for financing assistance to developing countries among IIB’s members in line with OECD’s classification of Official Development Assistance in the form of projects supported by Slovak companies.

IIB’s product line was presented in Slovakia within the framework of a series of events focused on the further expansion of the Bank's activities in the EU and on the implementation of international business projects. In November 2015, a similar presentation took place in the Czech Republic and another one, in January this year, in Romania. IIB’s roundtables are highly demanded by European entrepreneurs, especially for those considering expansion of their business in the other member countries of the Bank. The series of events will continue in the near future with IIB’s presentations in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca and in Budapest.