Press Release: EIB welcomes call to support SMEs in Eastern Partnership countries

The President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Philippe Maystadt stated after the Eastern Partnership Launch Summit in Prague yesterday that: 'The EIB stands ready to contribute to the development of the Eastern Partnership by financing sustainable investment projects. In this context, we welcome the joint declaration of this Summit inviting the EIB to start working on investment support for SMEs in the Eastern Partnership Countries. Such support is vital for sustainable economic development and our lending activities will improve SMEs’ access to long-term finance, which is particularly important in this time of financial crisis.'