"Bank of the Year 2004" in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania

"Bank of the Year 2004" in Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. The Banker, the renowned magazine of the Financial Times group, has awarded the prestigious prize "Bank of the Year 2004" to three Central and Eastern European (CEE) subsidiaries of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG (RZB-Austria). The ceremony took place during a reception in London. "RZB Group is dedicated to deliver superior customer service quality throughout CEE and in Austria and these awards clearly honour our approach", says Walter Rothensteiner, Chairman of RZB's Board of Management. The award "Bank of the Year" is given for different regions, countries and categories. Decisive for the honour are not only quantitative aspects such as total assets but also the development of modern technical infrastructures and future-oriented strategies und their implementation. Serial winners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus and Albania Raiffeisen Bank d.d. Bosna i Hercegovina, Belarusian Priorbank and Banka e Kursimeve (Savings Bank of Albania) received the title "Bank of the Year 2004" for their respective markets already the second time in a row. The Banker explained its choice with the banks' strong sustainable market positions and their status as one of the most profitable banks in their countries. In 2003, Raiffeisen Bank Bosnia i Hercegovina, Sarajevo, was the largest bank of its country the third consecutive year. Its balance-sheet total grew by 22.6 per cent to € 882 million in the first half of 2004. Continuous product innovation and high service quality distinguish the bank. In April 2003, Raiffeisen Bank became the first bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish a securities brokerage firm Raiffeisen Brokers. Additionally, a lease finance company was founded in January 2004. Currently, the bank employs a staff of more than 1,000 and operates a network of 63 branches throughout the country making it the only bank with a nation-wide coverage. Priorbank: First Belarusian bank ever to win this award twice Having won the award "Bank of the Year" as the first of its country in 2003, the Belarusian Priorbank, which was acquired by RZB in 2003, topped this success this year by getting the trophy a second time. Priorbank, established in 1988 as Minsk Innovation Bank, clearly leads its domestic market in the field of technological innovation. With 224,000 cards issued, it also has the lead in the plastic cards business. Furthermore, it is the only bank in Belarus to offer the delivery of account statements by e-mail and online services such as account opening. Priorbank's web-site is the first on-line front office in Belarus. By its balance-sheet total of € 470 million at the end of the first semester of 2004, Priorbank is the largest private universal bank in the country, and the third largest among all local banks. Priorbank's more than 2,000 employees currently service about 467,000 clients, including public sector enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), corporate customers and private individuals, in 60 branches.