Center-invest Bank participated in the latest Euromoney conference, which was held in Vienna on January 17th and 18th. This forum provides politicians, bankers and financial experts from Central and Eastern Europe with an opportunity to test the investment appeal of their business plans and gain a better understanding of market trends.
In a round table presentation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Center-invest Bank, Dr. Vasily Vysokov, spoke about Russia’s investment prospects for 2013. In the light of specific examples taken from Center-invest Bank’s own experience, the participants agreed with the following: 1) when assessing Russian risks, the specific characteristics and circumstances of individual regions must be taken into account, and 2) consideration must be given to best international practice when financing investment in the regions. In recognition of this, the participants agreed to exchange experience in developing and using new banking technologies, and work placements with leading international banks were planned for Center-invest Bank employees.
The importance of Center-invest Bank’s experience is becoming more and more widely recognised at the international level. The Austrian newspaper Wirtschafsblatt published an interview with Dr. Vasily Vysokov about the challenges of introducing the Basel 3 principles, which are the subject of much discussion in European financial circles. Thanks to its sustainable banking model, Center-invest Bank is able to comply with national regulatory requirements, international standards, and even the requirements of the Basel Committee. For Center-invest Bank, sustainable banking is not just about social and environmental responsibility: it is a business model that prioritises long-term profitability in the interests of current and future generations, rather than speculative, immediate profits.
Set up twenty years ago by southern Russia’s first privatised enterprises, the bank has become known as a “reform laboratory” in the region. It has established successful partnerships with international financial institutions, and it is the only bank in southern Russia to have a Ba3 rating from Moody’s. The bank’s rating was affirmed twice in 2012.