10TH INTERBALKAN FORUM OF BANKING ASSOCIATIONS

The 10th InterBalkan Forum of Banking Associations (IFBA) was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, on Friday 16th October 2009.
The Forum was attended by a European Banking Federation representative as well as by representatives of the National Bank Associations of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.

The 10th IFBA was opened with the welcome addresses of the President Mr. Dino Osmanbegovic and the Executive Secretary Mr. Mijo Misic of Banks Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (UBBiH).
Mr. Misic acted as Chairman due to the absence of the Chairman Dr. Christos Gortsos, Secretary General of the Hellenic Bank Association.

The first session commenced with a brief description on the Banking Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Mr. Mijo Misic (Executive Secretary of Banks Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina), followed by the presentation on European Banking Sector in a period of Global Financial and Economic Crisis by Ms Viktorija Proskurovska (Adviser on Economic & Monetary Affairs Associates of the European Banking Federation) and The future of financial supervision in the European Community and other recent regulatory developments exposed by Mr. Vasilis Panagiotidis (Special Advisor of the Hellenic Bank Association).

On the occasion of the Forum, the Governor of the Central Bank Mr. Kemal Kozaric delivered a speech on the banking sector of Bosnia & Herzegovina.

During the second session, the Director of the Insurance Deposit Agency Mr. Josip Navjestic delivered a speech on the function of the Agency in B&H while the Director of the Financial Intelligent Unit Mr. Mijo Golub launched a presentation on the Prevention of Money Laundering in B&H.

The meeting was concluded by stressing the importance of including in all future agendas topics that are of high importance to all members, such as training/financial literacy for employees of the banking sector in IFBA countries especially on Basle II implementation and Insurance Deposit Guarantee Schemes.

The 11th IFBA meeting will take place in Athens, Greece, spring 2010.

The IFBA is an institution which intends to promote the banking business in the Balkan region. It was established in 2004 based on the initiative of the Hellenic Bank Association. Today, the Forum has 10 Members - Banking Associations of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey. The Forum convenes twice a year in different Balkan cities (on a rotation basis) and its representatives have the opportunity to discuss extensively a large number of issues of common interest, related to important parameters of banking activities as well as to exchange ideas and views on the development and support of joint educational programs.