Belagroprombank and Italian banking group Gruppo BPER concluded cooperation agreements

On October 27th, 2017 in Luxembourg, the Belarusian-European Economic Forum took place. Representatives of JSC Belagroprombank participate in the Forum as part of the business delegation of the Republic of Belarus. The event became a universal platform for dialogue between Belarusian financial institutions and companies with European partners.

During the bilateral meetings held by the delegation of Belagroprombank within business trip to Luxembourg, cooperation agreements have been signed between JSC Belagroprombank and two banks belonging to one of the largest Italian banking group – Gruppo BPER: BPER Banca SpA – head bank of the group, based in Italy and Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna (Europe) International SA, Luxembourg subsidiary bank of the group.

Being old partners JSC Belagroprombank and Gruppo BPER have opened a new stage in the development of cooperation. The signing of the agreements in Luxembourg was not accidental, because the country is today the leading European and second largest investment center in the world after the United States. The concluded agreements will contribute to strengthening of long-term partnership and comprehensive interaction, as well as supporting initiatives of both banks' clients to develop foreign trade cooperation.

Reference: BPER Banca was founded in 1867. It is celebrating this year its 150th anniversary. The bank is the parent company of BPER Group, including a number of commercial banks based in different Italian areas. BPER Group is actually operative in 18 Italian regions, with a network of about 1,200 branches. Besides maintaining a number of good and long established partnerships with top ranking foreign financial institutions and a strong network of advisors, BPER Group is constantly committed in specific initiatives dedicated to those markets which are most attractive to Italian companies planning to expand their business and get bigger abroad, and can thus be looked at as a strategic partner for the internationalisation of enterprises from all perspectives. In 1992 the bank took its first step abroad, by opening a branch in Luxembourg. This branch became a foreign subsidiary in 1996, under the name Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna (Europe) International. BPER Group counts about 2.2 million customers (mainly SME).

JSC “Belagroprombank” is one of the largest state-owned banks in Belarus and ranks second in the banking system in terms of assets, equity, retail deposits and corporate loans. The bank has an extensive branch network in the Republic of Belarus. The bank has more than 100 partner banks around the world in the field of foreign trade financing. The bank's customers are about 1.7 million retail and about 40,000 corporate clients. The bank's international credit rating assigned by the Standard & Poor's rating agency is "В-" with "stable" outlook (at the sovereign rating level).

JSC "Belagroprombank" has been operating since 1991. The main share in the statutory fund of the bank belongs to the Republic of Belarus.