Over the past two years, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) has shown a very good result in cooperation with Ukrainian companies and banks, having tripled the portfolio of projects in the country and is currently implementing 17 projects in it, BSTDB President Dmytro Pankin has said.

"We are ready for cooperation and new projects in Ukraine," he said, opening the BSTDB webinar on financing opportunities in Ukraine on Thursday.

Pankin said that the bank, which unites 11 countries the Black Sea region, has more than 20 years of experience, including in structuring projects and financing them.

At the same time, the President said that the BSTDB is not about "more money and cheaper money." "We are a development bank," Pankin said and explained that aspects such as ecology and social results play an important role in the financed projects.

The President of the bank also said that a business forum was planned in Odesa this year and expressed hope that it would be possible to hold it next year.

In the bank's presentation, which was presented at the webinar, it was noted that it plans to increase its portfolio by 12% annually until 2022 inclusive. In addition, it is proposed to pay more attention to projects in infrastructure and regional trade.

Principal Banker for Energy and Infrastructure Henrikh Yeremyan said that the bank is ready to consider projects with financing from EUR 5 million to EUR 80 million, and information on rates that are close to those of commercial banks is confidential. According to him, we cannot talk about financing such industries as tobacco or alcohol.

Black Sea Trade and Development Bank is an international organization uniting 11 states of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. The shares of Turkey, Russia and Greece in its capital are 16.5% each, Romania 14%, Ukraine and Bulgaria 13.5% each, Azerbaijan 5%, Albania 2%, Armenia 1%, Georgia and Moldova 0.5% each. The bank promotes economic cooperation, trade and cooperation of the countries of the Black Sea region. The bank's charter capital is EUR 3.45 billion, and its long-term credit ratings are A- from S&P and A2 from Moody's.

In June this year, the BSTDB approved four new projects in Ukraine with Ukrgasbank for EUR 30 million, Novopecherska School for EUR 10 million, as well as Galnaftogaz and Metinvest.