Serbia: with CDP, to support business development in Western Balkans

"The agreement signed today – part of a programme divided into several tranches that will involve other countries where Intesa Sanpaolo is present – is a further sign of the strengthening of the already solid relationship that Intesa Sanpaolo has developed over the past year in Serbia with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, leveraging common objectives, involving the development of economic relations between Italy and Serbia.

"The long-term financing contract of €10 million – the subject of the agreement signed by our bank Intesa Beograd, leader in the Serbian market – aims to support Serbian small and medium-sized enterprises that intend to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by the green economy, social entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and ecotourism.

"Thanks to the agreement with CDP, we intend to further enrich our range of services for SMEs. The business initiative carried out by Banca Intesa Beograd – under the guidance and coordination of the International Subsidiary Banks Division – attests to the Intesa Sanpaolo Group's commitment and dedication to supporting the Serbian economy, along with Italian companies interested in the many opportunities that the country has to offer.

"I am honoured to have taken part in this morning's inauguration of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti offices in Belgrade, following on the opening of Simest's offices last June. Both offices are located at the headquarters of Banca Intesa Beograd, and I am certain that this will foster further opportunities for cooperation and synergies with the Intesa Sanpaolo Group."

Belgrade, 1 February 2024

Throughout 2023, Intesa Sanpaolo Group - also through the action of the International Subsidiary Banks Division - reaffirmed its commitment to the framework of supply chains support and to the development of bilateral relationships between Serbia and Italy, with a consistently qualified participation to numerous major institutional and business events, among which:

• January 2023 - “Italy and the Western Balkans: Growth and Integration" in Trieste, organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where the Group reaffirmed its deep-rooted presence in the region serving as a real 'bridge to Italy', benefiting the development of local economies and the growth of Italian SMEs.
• March 2023 - “Serbia-Italy Business & Science Forum”, organized in Belgrade by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in conjunction with ICE, the Italian Embassy in Belgrade and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, with the participation of the Chairman of Intesa Sanpaolo Board of Directors, whereby the Group reaffirmed the relevance of the country as increasingly important for Italian value chains in the current phase of regional reshaping of globalization dynamics.
• May 2023 - 90th International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, where BIB showcased the Group’s extensive expertise on agri-business, sustainable agriculture and food safety, with a keen focus on the development of a Euro-Mediterranean agricultural supply chain, by leveraging also on synergies with Banca dei Territori.
• November 2023 - “Wine Vision by Open Balkan”, where BIB -in cooperation with Banca dei Territori - was the official partner of this prestigious international wine fair and the sole banking sector’s representative at the event.
• December 2023 - “Italy-Serbia Innovation Forum – Matchmaking for the Innovation”, an event (organized by Embassy of Italy to Serbia) dedicated to connecting key players from the Italian and Serbian innovation ecosystems, with the participation of the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center’s senior representatives.