Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi opened the Bank of Valletta EU Representative Office in Brussels on Thursday; the office will assist Maltese enterprises tap into EU centralised funds and help them take advantage of the evolving EU internal market.

The office, which will be headed by Mark Scicluna Bartoli, will also help to enhance the bank’s already good working relationship with EU institutions namely the European Commission and the European Investment Fund, and the Pan-European associations based in Brussels.

The office is located in the headquarters of the European Savings Banks Group, of which BOV has been an active member for the past 10 years.

Present for the launch were BOV Chief Executive Officer Charles Borg and representatives from the bank’s management and Board of Directors together with distinguished guests from the European entities, Maltese MEPs and representatives from the Maltese Embassy in Belgium and Malta’s permanent representation to the EU.

Bank of Valletta’s CEO Charles Borg stated: “As the largest Maltese financial institution − a systematically important bank in our country − we play a key role as a catalyst of economic development in Malta and also a shaper of the Maltese economy.”

“This places considerable responsibility on us, including that of continuing to make credit available, in a responsible manner, to support the small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of the Maltese economy.

“Through our new EU Representative Office, we plan to participate even more closely in the activities of EU institutions. This will allow us to present our point of view on how EU funding programmes can be tailored to better support Maltese enterprises and to seek investment opportunities for our clients as well as other areas related to training and skills development.”

The EU Commission’s DG Enterprise & Industry and the European Investment Fund have praised BOV for its success with the JEREMIE programme. Through JEREMIE, BOV provides beneficial terms and rates for SMEs wishing to invest in new initiatives with the objective of improving their competitiveness.

The bank has always been aware of the important role it plays in extending credit to this sector of the economy, which represents over two-thirds of the Maltese economy.

The following are the office contact details:

Bank of Valletta plc, EU Representative Office, 11, Rue Marie-Thérèse / Maria-Theresiastraat, B-1000 Bruxelles / Brussels, Belgium

DDI: +32-2-788 02 11; e-mail: [email protected]