The European Investment Bank in cooperation with the Bulgarian National Bank will hold in Sofia on Wednesday 5th July 2006 a seminar on "EIB financing of Financial Institutions in Bulgaria".

The conference, at the Grand Hotel Sofia, is designed to bring together representatives from the government, banks and financial institutions as well as financial intermediaries.

The aim of the seminar is to raise awareness and understanding of the various forms of cooperation between the EIB and local financial institutions. The seminar will explore with a select audience of financiers ways of financial intermediation and cooperation - and showcase the absorption of pre-accession funding. Through keynote speeches, interactive panel discussions and special case studies, the conference will provide a unique opportunity to meet with and hear from policy makers, leading representatives from the Bulgarian National Bank and senior EIB experts.

The seminar will be opened by Dimiter Ivanovski, Deputy Minister of Finance and Dimitar Kostov, Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank. Other confirmed speakers include Levon Hampartzoumian, President of the Association of Commercial Banks and Thomas Hackett, Director General for lending operations in Europe, EIB.