KYIV. July 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is considering investing in the share capital of PJSC Raiffeisen Bank Aval (RBA), Ukraine’s second largest bank with Western capital, to obtain a significant minor stake.
The EBRD Board of Directors plans to consider the proposal on July 22.
The proposed investment in Raiffeisen Bank Aval “will send a strong positive signal to the market during the period of severe political and economic crisis in Ukraine,” the EBRD said in a statement.
The cost of the EBRD’s investment in the bank has not been disclosed.
Raiffeisen Bank Aval was founded in 1992. It has around 670 branches across the country, serving nearly 3 million customers. At the end of May 2015 Raiffeisen Bank International (Austria) owned a 96.5% stake in the bank.
RBA ranked seventh among 133 operating banks in the country on April 1, 2015 by total assets (UAH 52.8 billion), according to the National Bank of Ukraine. Its charter capital stood at UAH 3.003 billion, net worth – UAH 4.105 billion.