KBC wants to raise its share in Slovenia's largest bank, NLB, from the current 34% to 51%, and is awaiting approval from the Slovenian government, management board member of the Belgian banking and insurance group Andre Bergen told the press in Brussels on Friday.
According to Bergen, the KBC is awaiting a decision by a government commission, which has to decide on the issue by 23 December. The current moratorium preventing KBC from raising its share in the NLB runs out at the end of this year.
We are waiting the cabinet's decision. If it turns out to be negative, we will reconsider our future plans, Bergen said.
He added that KBC wants to inject fresh capital into the NLB, while keeping it a Slovenian bank under Slovenian management. We entered the NLB as a strategic partner and want it to become a regional headquarters for operations in the Balkans, Bergen explained.
He reconfirmed KBC's desire to increase its presence in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, but stressed that the Belgians have no intentions to compete with NLB in the area.
He added that KBC is ready to help in a limited way in solving the dispute between Slovenia and Croatia regarding foreign currency savings of Croatians in the defunct Ljubljanska banka (LB), but added that this is a political issue.
Bergen also commented on a possible tie-up between NLB and the country's largest insurer, Zavarovalnica Triglav, labelling it a good idea. "However, we have not yet held formal discussiuons with the Slovenian government on such plans", he added.
Meanwhile, KBC's chief executive Willy Duron presented the company's long term strategy plans, which include an increase in KBC's presence in Central and Eastern Europe.
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