OREANDA-NEWS. October 3, 2011. V.V Putin’s Opening Address:

Good evening esteemed colleagues, Today we are to discuss Vnesheconombank’s mid-term strategy up to the year 2016. I’d like to note that the Bank’s business experience as a development institution was taken into account when the strategy was worked out. It is this line of the Bank’s activity that should be enhanced in the coming years. VEB must play a more active role in the investment policy, act as a powerful financial driving force of projects that are designed to change the structure of the Russian economy, make it more sustainable against any external shocks. Top priority should be certainly given to supporting high-technology and infrastructure programs, projects that create new quality jobs.

I’d like to stress that even now VEB is highly instrumental in modernizing the Russian economy. For example, the Bank’s loan portfolio as a bank for development increased from early 2009 by more than 80%. And above all this increase was achieved by funding key industrial enterprises, the high-technology sector, transport as well as the most important construction projects and facilities in electronics, infrastructure and transport mechanical engineering.

I’d like to list objectives VEB will have to address in the coming four years. First, VEB is supposed to invest about 2 trillion rubles in the Russian economy till the end of 2015. These are significant resources – about 2.4% of GDP. The Bank for Development will have to more than double its loan portfolio and the proportion of high-technology and innovations projects should increase from 15 to 20% in the total financing amount.

The Bank’s cooperation with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives will become an important line of its innovative activity. Here, VEB can act as a consultant, provide qualified expert support in selecting projects to be offered by this Agency.

Second, the Bank should increase by many times its support for high-technology exports. We should realize the Bank’s full potential to help our companies to tap into the most advanced, promising markets. By 2016, the amount of support for our exporters, their innovative technological products should be about 90 billion rubles.

In this respect, today we have to approve the Charter of the Russian Export Credit and Investment Insurance Agency and form its governance bodies. The Agency’s charter capital is 30 billion rubles. This new institution will take some of financial risks, help our exporters to tap into international markets and promote high-technology products and services. We expect the Agency to operate effectively. I hope that as early as this year Russian exporters will be able to get their first contract insured with its assistance.

The third and very important line of activity. I’d like to stress that Vnesheconombank’s strategic priority will be to advance programs aimed at providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises. And at the same time top priority will be given to supporting companies operating in the non-trade sector of the economy, to funding innovation projects associated with creating new production facilities, quality products and technologies. And there is no doubt that the Bank will go on participating in housing programs. VEB has already earmarked up to 250 billion rubles to develop mortgage lending including refinancing of housing credits.