OREANDA-NEWS. June 23, 2008. The Russian Bank for Development within the framework of implementation of the corporate strategy of the State Corporation “Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)” pertaining to SME lending support continues its operations aimed at financing the regional banks. As a result of such activities in the first six months of the year the Bank has formed its loan portfolio totaling RUR 7 billion which represents nearly the third part of the Bank’s working assets. This year the total limit prescribed for the Bank’s SME lending amounts to RUR 9 billion and by 2012 year end the volume of funding will reach RUR 42 billion. 
 
With the view to attract to SME lending as many counterparty banks as possible RBD participates in the Russian banks’ funding – in the first six months of this year the Bank was arranger or participant of a number of major transactions in the capital market. The aggregate amount of funds extended by the Bank to financial institutions on the mid-term and long-term basis during the last month only exceeds RUR 620 million.