Inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the Western Balkans depends on greater economic competitiveness. However, the biggest risks for these countries are the high share of the informal economy, which on average accounts for more than 40% of GDP, and the lack of modern infrastructure. Despite these challenges, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular are becoming attractive destinations for investment and exports by Slovak companies.
Can you explain what structured finance is at the beginning of the interview?
It is basically the financing of foreign investments of Slovak exporters in such a structure that the investment credit provided by us is both a helpful instrument for financing the investment plans of exporters in the host country of export and at the same time feasible in terms of financing parameters, perhaps with a less conventional approach.
Three hundred billion euros. This is the amount the European Union has decided to mobilise between 2021 and 2027 to invest in sustainable strategic projects around the world as part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy. It was the subject of a conference of the same name organised in Bratislava yesterday by EXIMBANKA SR together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission.
For the first time this year, imports also recorded a year-on-year increase. Slovakia’s trade balance ended in a significant plus for the fourth consecutive month in April 2024. Thus, the foreign trade surplus in the first four months of 2024 was more than twice as high as in the same period last year.