Zouzoukis speaks in Budapest

ITFA board member Demetris Zouzoukis has given a key presentation at this year’s annual BACEE conference in Budapest.

The 23rd Banking Association for Central and Eastern Europe’s Country and Bank Conference took place at Budapest’s Danubius Health Spa Resort on the island of Margitsziget on 18th and 19th November. The 75 delegates who attended the event were drawn from across the region’s banking industry.

The event included several presentations on the economic outlook for countries in the region. These covered better known territories such as Poland and Hungary but also some that may be less familiar to many Western European bankers such as Armenia, Georgia and Albania.

Demetris Zouzoukis’ presentation addressed issues of “Forfaiting and Trade Finance Post Crisis.” “Delegates were keen to discuss the treatment of trade finance under Basel III,” explains Zouzoukis. “And central and eastern banks are also keen to reopen bank-to-bank trade finance lines and limits.”

“It is clear that the members of ITFA and of BACEE have a lot in common, which is why I was interested to attend this event on behalf of ITFA,” he continues. “There is tremendous scope for growth in some of these economies and a lot of potential for our members to develop relationships with local banks and transact trade finance business.”

ITFA has shared a platform with BACEE on several occasions duing the last year and looks forward to fostering further contacts between their respective members.