Liutauras Varanauskas, the chairman of board of Ûkio bankas, is convinced that in the nearest future investors from the different parts of the world will come there, from Germany, Austria and Russia in particular.

War has completely destroyed Yugoslavian bank system. Meanwhile the country is in the primary stage of market reorganization. Change of ownership, appearance of fund market and other “charms” of first phase of capitalism are foreseen. So the banks will have much to do.

In such a situation the first will win a lot. This was properly valued by Ûkio bankas, not very large Lithuanian bank, which two years ago, just after the war ended, began settling down in Bania Luka, the main city of the Serbian region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1998 Birac, the largest alumina production plant in the world was given 4 million dollars credit by the established Investment group of Ûkio bankas. Last year’s bombardments held up modernization process of the enterprise for a while, but now the works are recommenced and the plant is intensively preparing to privatization; Lithuanians are going to be advisors. Just mentioned Investment group works in the others regions, too; also in Armenia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and in Russia, where last year it acquired and resold 34 % of shares of Nikolaevskij aluminum industrial complex to concern “Sibirskij aluminum”.

Since this July branch bank called Balkan Investment Bank began its activity. This is the first Lithuanian bank abroad and the first foreign bank in Serbian Bosnia; there are 15 banks in all there. Furthermore, in the nearest future the bank is going to establish Investment fund in Bania Luka.

According to Liutauras Varanauskas, the chairman of board of Ûkio bankas, it is very risky to make business in Balkans. But if it succeeds large incomes are expected. He is convinced that in the nearest future investors from the different parts of the world will come there, from Germany, Austria and Russia in particular.