The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed an agreement with
Addiko Bank on approving a long-term loan in the amount of EUR 10 million for development of small and medium enterprises, Addiko Bank reported.
Nick Tesseyman, Managing Director in charge of the Financial Institutions sector at the EBRD, said that the loan approved to Addiko Bank Belgrade is the first instance of financing the Addiko Group. Following the investment of the capital in the purchase of the bank in 2015, the EBRD plans to expand its cooperation with the group in other countries as well in the coming months.
– Our goal is to help the development of small and medium enterprises and support them in their business success, which further increases the role and the competitiveness of the private sector, which can become the main driving engine of local economy for further investments in a favorable business environment – Tesseyman said.
– We are very excited for the perspective this credit line offers to Serbia, as the loan is being approved in the region which is the focus of our operations – he added.
– The Addiko Group believes that our good financial results in 2016 and 2017 are a solid foundation for further growth of all operating parameters, both in Serbia and within the Group. We believe that this credit line will provide considerable opportunities to local companies, and we are dedicated to becoming successful partners in this joint endeavor with the EBRD – said Markus Krause, Chief Risk Officer and member of the Management Board of Addiko Bank AG.
Ivan Radojcic, Chairman of the Executive Board of Addiko Bank, reminded that the bank “has a clean balance, which is a good financing base and a strong capital foundation providing a favorable position for a further growth in operations, especially in the retail and SME segments”.
This, he adds, is best illustrated by the operating results in the first five months of 2017, when the operating profit reached EUR 4.8 million.