ABH Holdings S.A. (ABHH) owning Alfa-Bank in Ukraine and finishing a deal to buy Ukrsotsbank hopes that equal conditions on the market would be created, the group is ready to fight for leading positions on the market, the largest shareholder in ABHH and head of the supervisory board of Alfa Group Mikhail Fridman has said.

"Of course, we want to be a leader, at least one of the obvious leaders in the private bank segment of the Ukrainian bank market… We never liked second positions," he told reporters in Kyiv.

The businessman said that the acquisition of Ukrsotsbank and plans to gain leading positions on the Ukrainian bank market are linked only to business interests.

He said that existing crisis is a good time for investing and strengthening the leading position on the market. He said that even in the countries with smaller economies than Ukraine and in countries facing crisis the market leaders still have a chance to earn.

The businessman added that Alfa-Bank seeks to fight for leadership on the market thanks to improved technologies, increasing efficiency and conveniences for clients, as well the reduction of the cost of services and expansion of their range.