Bancpost supports the Greek-Romanian partnership
Organized by the Greek Businessmen International Association (SEVE), in partnership with the Greek-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economical and Commercial Affairs Office within the Greek Embassy in Bucharest, the event benefitted from the support and lead sponsorship offered by Bancpost, the Romanian subsidiary of Eurobank EFG Group.
Over 300 people participated at this event, mainly consisting of company managers from both Greece and Romania, eager to discuss business opportunities for their companies’ development in the local market.
The roundtable debuted with a brief description given by Vassilis Thomaidis, President of SEVE, on the importance of Greek–Romanian bilateral trade and cooperation. This cooperation is bridged by the Chamber of Commerce officials and by the Greek banking system, which is already well established and successful in the Romanian market. Describing his association, Thomaidis explained that "SEVE is a major social partner for Romania, acting as a link between society, private exporting companies and state/regional authorities. It offers unique opportunities for Hellenic and Romanian entrepreneurs to build strong partnerships and strengthen their global business presence.” He added that the “SMEs offer a common production base for both our countries."
Next to address the audience was Mihai Bogza, President & CEO of Bancpost. He mentioned that his bank’s involvement in organizing the roundtable was sustained by its corporate social responsibility principles: “In times of financial difficulties affecting the economy, we felt it was our duty, as an active player on this market, to take step and try to mediate the crisis’ effects and make them run smoother.” Bogza, added, “One of our most important goals, as a Greek bank with Romanian capital, is to promote those activities which facilitate the development of the bilateral trade between the two countries. We are also interested in developing and maintaining business collaborations with our clients in Romania, the food sector being one of the strongest segments of the economy, having all the chances to overcome the negative effects of the financial crisis.” Bogza further expressed his confidence in Romania’s ability to attract investors in spite of the crisis’ effects, “even though last year, there were rumors the country was on the verge of going bankrupt, rumors which were, obviously, dismissed.”
Mircea Toader, General Manager for the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business Environment in Romania, expressed his optimistic view on the economic revival of the two countries, as well as in strengthening their bilateral ties. He declared that the Greek direct investment in Romania is now close to 4 billion Euro. Greek investors currently rank fifth among top FDI investors in Romania, totaling some 4,700 Greek companies in the country.
Mr. Georgios Poukamissas, the Ambassador of Greece in Romania, expressed his views on the current difficult financial situation of the Greek banking system, adding that the Greek government is making efforts to rehabilitate the economic situation, and that it has the population’s support. “As for our presence here, in Romania, I think it has become a common belief that our bank’s presence in this market is a strong and resilient one. Considering the existent crisis environment, the Greek subsidiaries in Romania have received ‘injections’ from the mother banks in Greece; therefore they are not affected by the financial pressure which exists there. We believe there has been some unjust taunting towards Greek banks lately. And just as Romania has been a privileged associate for Greece in this part of Europe – maybe the most privileged – that’s how Romania must react towards Greece,” stated H.E.
Expressing his group’s full commitment in supporting both the Greek and Romanian corporations with excellent banking products and solutions, Nikolaos Karamouzis, Deputy General Manager for Eurobank EFG Group, said that the loan portfolio of Romanian banks with Greek interests has reached 19 billion Euro, amounting to 4.7 per cent of Greek GDP and 11.5 per cent of Romanian GDP. “The Greek banking system has imposed itself as among the strongest in Europe. Bancpost has reached some 3.5 billion Euro in its portfolio, while EFG itself remains profitable and healthy, with a client portfolio comprising 53 Romanian companies and 33 Greek export companies,” he explained.
The successes of the Greek-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry were outlined by Konstantinos Tsoukalidis, the Chamber’s president. He emphasized the fact that “the Chamber started as a business council representing Greek businessmen, but in time it managed to successfully become a Chamber of Commerce with more than 100 members.” Tsoukalidis expressed his belief in improving the bilateral collaboration between Romania and Greece, especially in the promising field of wines and beverages. “In 2008, we had a value of bilateral commerce of 1.5 billion Euro, a figure that decreased last year. But we must also consider the tax on added value, which is very high in Romania and creates difficulties for imports. Our goal within the Chamber of Commerce is to help increase the bilateral commerce and the exports from Romania towards Greece. The good news that soon the Europewide VAT will be reduced also contributes to our optimism.”
In turn, Sorin Petre Dimitriu, Vicepresident for the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed the the “delocalization phenomenon,” the importance of investors consulting the “chamber system,” as well as the concentration of more investment resources for green energy. “Tourism is another key aspect that needs to be looked into,” he added.
Dimitrios Damkalidis, Prime Executive Vicepresident for Bancpost, made a short presentation on his bank during the roundtable event, stating that Bancpost, which is 95 per cent owned by the EFG Group, was established in 1991 and privatized in 2002, becoming one of the leading financial institutions in Romania ever since. The bank represents a solid presence in countries such as Greece, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Luxembourg, the UK and Ciprus. “Bancpost employs over 3,700 people, also benefitting from a vast territorial network of more than 285 branches, 8 regional centers and 15 business centers. We offer our services to over two million individuals in Romania, as well as to corporations from various business fields. We own the required infrastructure to offer tailor-made solutions and to provide specialized lending. Moreover, we have an excellent transfer department and an excellent knowledge of both the Greek and the Romanian markets,” said Damkalidis. He added that Bancpost has strong support for small and medium enterprises, for which the bank has secured financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), having the major advantage of lower costs.
Over 300 people participated at this event, mainly consisting of company managers from both Greece and Romania, eager to discuss business opportunities for their companies’ development in the local market.
The roundtable debuted with a brief description given by Vassilis Thomaidis, President of SEVE, on the importance of Greek–Romanian bilateral trade and cooperation. This cooperation is bridged by the Chamber of Commerce officials and by the Greek banking system, which is already well established and successful in the Romanian market. Describing his association, Thomaidis explained that "SEVE is a major social partner for Romania, acting as a link between society, private exporting companies and state/regional authorities. It offers unique opportunities for Hellenic and Romanian entrepreneurs to build strong partnerships and strengthen their global business presence.” He added that the “SMEs offer a common production base for both our countries."
Next to address the audience was Mihai Bogza, President & CEO of Bancpost. He mentioned that his bank’s involvement in organizing the roundtable was sustained by its corporate social responsibility principles: “In times of financial difficulties affecting the economy, we felt it was our duty, as an active player on this market, to take step and try to mediate the crisis’ effects and make them run smoother.” Bogza, added, “One of our most important goals, as a Greek bank with Romanian capital, is to promote those activities which facilitate the development of the bilateral trade between the two countries. We are also interested in developing and maintaining business collaborations with our clients in Romania, the food sector being one of the strongest segments of the economy, having all the chances to overcome the negative effects of the financial crisis.” Bogza further expressed his confidence in Romania’s ability to attract investors in spite of the crisis’ effects, “even though last year, there were rumors the country was on the verge of going bankrupt, rumors which were, obviously, dismissed.”
Mircea Toader, General Manager for the Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business Environment in Romania, expressed his optimistic view on the economic revival of the two countries, as well as in strengthening their bilateral ties. He declared that the Greek direct investment in Romania is now close to 4 billion Euro. Greek investors currently rank fifth among top FDI investors in Romania, totaling some 4,700 Greek companies in the country.
Mr. Georgios Poukamissas, the Ambassador of Greece in Romania, expressed his views on the current difficult financial situation of the Greek banking system, adding that the Greek government is making efforts to rehabilitate the economic situation, and that it has the population’s support. “As for our presence here, in Romania, I think it has become a common belief that our bank’s presence in this market is a strong and resilient one. Considering the existent crisis environment, the Greek subsidiaries in Romania have received ‘injections’ from the mother banks in Greece; therefore they are not affected by the financial pressure which exists there. We believe there has been some unjust taunting towards Greek banks lately. And just as Romania has been a privileged associate for Greece in this part of Europe – maybe the most privileged – that’s how Romania must react towards Greece,” stated H.E.
Expressing his group’s full commitment in supporting both the Greek and Romanian corporations with excellent banking products and solutions, Nikolaos Karamouzis, Deputy General Manager for Eurobank EFG Group, said that the loan portfolio of Romanian banks with Greek interests has reached 19 billion Euro, amounting to 4.7 per cent of Greek GDP and 11.5 per cent of Romanian GDP. “The Greek banking system has imposed itself as among the strongest in Europe. Bancpost has reached some 3.5 billion Euro in its portfolio, while EFG itself remains profitable and healthy, with a client portfolio comprising 53 Romanian companies and 33 Greek export companies,” he explained.
The successes of the Greek-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry were outlined by Konstantinos Tsoukalidis, the Chamber’s president. He emphasized the fact that “the Chamber started as a business council representing Greek businessmen, but in time it managed to successfully become a Chamber of Commerce with more than 100 members.” Tsoukalidis expressed his belief in improving the bilateral collaboration between Romania and Greece, especially in the promising field of wines and beverages. “In 2008, we had a value of bilateral commerce of 1.5 billion Euro, a figure that decreased last year. But we must also consider the tax on added value, which is very high in Romania and creates difficulties for imports. Our goal within the Chamber of Commerce is to help increase the bilateral commerce and the exports from Romania towards Greece. The good news that soon the Europewide VAT will be reduced also contributes to our optimism.”
In turn, Sorin Petre Dimitriu, Vicepresident for the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, discussed the the “delocalization phenomenon,” the importance of investors consulting the “chamber system,” as well as the concentration of more investment resources for green energy. “Tourism is another key aspect that needs to be looked into,” he added.
Dimitrios Damkalidis, Prime Executive Vicepresident for Bancpost, made a short presentation on his bank during the roundtable event, stating that Bancpost, which is 95 per cent owned by the EFG Group, was established in 1991 and privatized in 2002, becoming one of the leading financial institutions in Romania ever since. The bank represents a solid presence in countries such as Greece, Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Luxembourg, the UK and Ciprus. “Bancpost employs over 3,700 people, also benefitting from a vast territorial network of more than 285 branches, 8 regional centers and 15 business centers. We offer our services to over two million individuals in Romania, as well as to corporations from various business fields. We own the required infrastructure to offer tailor-made solutions and to provide specialized lending. Moreover, we have an excellent transfer department and an excellent knowledge of both the Greek and the Romanian markets,” said Damkalidis. He added that Bancpost has strong support for small and medium enterprises, for which the bank has secured financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), having the major advantage of lower costs.
COMENTARII:
Fii tu primul care comenteaza