For the seventh year in a row, Eurobank was rewarded as the Most Active Issuing Bank in Serbia for the past year, within the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP).
Every year, EBRD grants awards to the banks which provide support to both local entrepreneurship efforts and export-oriented companies and international trade.
”We are particularly glad that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development recognised our efforts in providing maximum support to the entire Serbian business sector and entrepreneurship in 2020, which was quite specific for all of us. During the coronavirus pandemic, we encountered numerous challenges, especially in international trade. However, thanks to our flexibility and understanding of the needs of the changed financial market, we have managed to achieve excellent results and welcome 2021 with great success. Therefore, we are honoured to have won the prestigious Award for the Most Active Issuing Bank this year again”, said Milan Vićentić, a member of the Executive Board in Eurobank and Head of the Corporate Banking Sector.
“As we mark our 30th anniversary, we can take great pride in our achievements. The TFP has played a key role in supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises that are so crucial for job creation, as well as helping to create greater equality of opportunity across societies. Many of our award-winning banks today developed their trade finance businesses with our help and have made extensive use of EBRD trade finance as well as our award-winning training programmes. Their success makes us extremely proud”, said Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director, Financial Institutions.
Eurobank joined the EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme back in 2011 and it has been providing strong support to export-oriented companies, international trade and development of the production base in the country ever since. EBRD has initiated 285 projects and invested more than 6,500 million euros in Serbia so far. A focus is on strengthening the role and competitiveness of the private sector, particularly in the agricultural value chain, as well as on strengthening the banking sector, supporting privatisation processes, expanding financial intermediation and improving utility and energy efficiency.