Local development bank unveils plans to double lending in Black Sea region

Retreat by western IFIs creates opportunities for smaller multilateral banks, says BSTDB president Dmitry Pankin.

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) has announced plans to more than double its balance sheet in a bid to boost its presence in central and eastern Europe (CEE).

Set up in 1997, the bank is an offshoot of a Turkish-led project to promote economic cooperation between countries around the Black Sea.

Since starting operations in 1999, it has distributed around €5 billion in funding but has struggled to define its role in a region well-covered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other western development organizations.

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