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Armenia To Join European Fund For Southeast Europe

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  • Armenia To Join European Fund For Southeast Europe

    ARMENIA TO JOIN EUROPEAN FUND FOR SOUTHEAST EUROPE

    ARKA
    Feb 9, 2010

    YEREVAN, February 9, /ARKA/. Karapet Gevorkian, a representative of
    German KfW Bank in Armenia, said today Armenia will join the European
    Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE).

    He said Armenia's membership with EFSE was discussed by Armenian
    Central bank governor Arthur Javadian during a 2009 December visit
    to Germany, when the shareholders of the European Fund for Southeast
    Europe approved an expansion of the Fund's target region to include
    four new countries of the European Eastern Neighbourhood region:
    Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus.

    According to Karapet Gevorkian, this has paved the way for the EFSE
    to provide financing for micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and home
    improvement in these countries, in addition to Ukraine and Moldova,
    two other European Eastern Neighbourhood countries.

    The expansion will enhance the level of financial intermediation
    in the new target countries and will bring much-needed financing,
    especially to MSEs in rural areas and to the private small-scale
    agriculture sector.

    He said over the next five years, the EFSE is expected to provide
    financing to banks and microfinance institutions in a total amount of
    EUR 300 million in the new target countries in addition to up to EUR
    1 billion envisaged for the region of Southeast Europe. In doing so,
    the Fund will provide financing for approximately 70,000 loans to
    MSEs in the new target countries.

    With an investment portfolio of EUR 700 million, EFSE is the largest
    microfinance investment funds worldwide. Aimed at fostering economic
    development and prosperity in Southeast Europe, the Fund offers
    long-term funding instruments to local financial institutions for
    on-lending to micro and small enterprises as well as to low-income
    private households.

    The Fund is a public-private partnership. Its capital base is jointly
    constituted by donors, development finance institutions and private
    institutional investors. KfW is the Initiator and Promoter of the
    Fund. The Fund Manager is Oppenheim Asset Management Services.

    Frankfurt School of Finance & Management acts as Advisor and supports
    the fund management. EFSE operates in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania,
    Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, FYR Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria,
    and in Ukraine.
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