2024-10-08 14:49 update: 2024-10-08, 14:50
Mirosław Czekaj, Ievgen Zaigraiev. Photo PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
Poland's state-owned development bank BGK has provided loan guarantees worth a total of EUR 20 million to Ukrainian companies operating near the war zone, the bank has said.
Agreements to this effect were signed on Tuesday between BGK and the Ukrainian banks KredoBank and PrivatBank, in the western city of Poznan on Tuesday.
Since Monday, Poznan has been hosting the Common Future Congress for the Reconstruction of Ukraine attended by entrepreneurs, local government officials and government representatives from Poland and Ukraine.
In mid-May, BGK applied to the European Commission (EC) for EUR 20 million in order to continue support for KredoBank (EUR 10 million) and to cover another Ukrainian bank (EUR 10 million) with the guarantee programme.
The agreements signed on Tuesday implement the provisions of the deal with the EC on expanding support for Ukrainian MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises).
"This is the use of EU money, which guarantees that these banks can support the reconstruction of Ukraine in a good, simple way. The funds will be directed to the reconstruction of the energy sector, which is particularly important in the face of the coming winter," said Miroslaw Czekaj, BGK's president of the management board. (PAP)
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