19.03.2015

"The European Investment Bank is important partner and plays essential role for increasing investments and for private sector development both in Bulgaria and the EU Member States", Deputy Minister of Finance Feizy Bekir said at the opening of the press conference of the Bank at which the EIB Vice President László Baranyay presented the operations of the financial institution in Bulgaria for 2014 and the possibilities for future cooperation. Deputy Minister Bekir added that the financial support the Bank provided whereby it contributed to the development of the Bulgarian economy in the past years was highly appreciated by the Bulgarian government. He defined the technical assistance the EIB provided both for the implementation of individual strategic projects and for the absorption of the European structural and investment funds as particularly important for our country.

EIB Vice President László Baranyay noted that the Bank had doubled the loans granted in support of Bulgaria's economy in 2014 compared to the previous year. He pointed out that in 2015 the European financial institution would primarily focus its operations in Bulgaria on the energy efficiency, the projects under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (the so called Juncker Plan) and the building of transport and energy infrastructure.

The European Investment Bank supports Bulgaria in the building of important infrastructure projects in the energy, transport, environmental and water sectors. A finance contract "Bulgaria EU Funds Co-financing 2014-2020 (Structural Programme Loan)" to the amount of EUR 500 million was signed at the end of last year. By signing this contract additional funds are ensured to support the EU Funds absorption by partially covering the Bulgarian co-financing of the implementation of investment schemes under the 2014-2020 programming period operational programmes. This is the second Structural Programme Loan that the EIB is providing to support the Republic of Bulgaria's government in the EU Funds absorption after the signature of the Loan Agreement in 2007.