The agreement was inked by BNI President Gatot M Suwondo and Chairman of the Board and General Director of Eximbanka SR Mario Schrenke, witnessed by Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa at an Indonesia-Slovakia Business Forum.
"This cooperation has a strategic value considering the fact that the balance of trade between Indonesia and Slovakia is continuing to grow significantly each year," Gatot said.
The two parties would actively indentify the aspects of Indonesia-Slovakia trade in goods and services that can be further developed for mutual benefit.
In concrete terms, the cooperation would includes co-financing, co-insurance, reinsurance of export credit risks, guidance and assistance in non-performing loans management, information exchanges, and other cooperative activities.
Gatot said the cooperation was part of BNI`s commitment as a national bank to supporting Indonesia`s growing role in international trade.
As a national bank that had an extensive international network, BNI supported the government`s policy of capturing all existing opportunities to expand trade with Eastern Europe in accordance with BNI`s tagline of bridging financial gaps between the world and Indonesia.
BNI`s cooperation agreement with Eximbanka SR would also open opportunities for the Indonesian national bank to enter the East Europe market, particularly Slovakia, while providing opportunities to BNI clients to explore markets outside Western Europe and America.
Besides having an extensive international network, BNI had a trade financing service facility that had been recognized internationally. BNI was two times in a row named Best Trade Financing Bank in Southeast Asia. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
