April 3 (SeeNews) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) said on Wednesday it opened a desk office in Sarajevo to enhance financing activities in Bosnia and Montenegro.
Sandrine Friscia will lead the office as EIB representative for Bosnia and Montenegro, the bank said in a statement.
The main goal of the new office is to support financing activity in the context of the Economic Resilience Initiative developed by the EIB in response to a request by the European Council to mobilise additional financing in support of growth, vital infrastructure and social cohesion in the Southern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans.
"It is important to note that the European Investment Bank has been present in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region for many years and that the EIB has, over the years, loaned over 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion). It is the world's largest development investor, has supported numerous projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will continue with its considerable activities, which is why it is important to have a representative here, at the EU Delegation in Sarajevo”, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, head of the EU delegation to Bosnia said.
Since 2008, the EIB has lent 1.65 billion euro to support projects in Bosnia, of which, 725 million euro has been used for credit lines to develop SMEs and mid-caps, helping sustain more than 71,500 jobs. The EIB has also lent 719 million euro to Montenegro since 2008, focusing both on vital infrastructure and on ensuring access to credit for SMEs.
($ = 0.889227 euro)