The NIB Governors emphasised the critical role of regional cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries in enhancing competitiveness and supporting the environment in the Nordic and Baltic Sea region. The Governors discussed key areas for possible cooperation, such as: energy, transport and logistics, as well as the financing of innovations. The Governors:
- underscored that NIB\'s knowledge and experience makes it uniquely well placed to become the International Financial Institution for the Nordic and Baltic Sea region;
- invited NIB to propose measures for the Bank to play a more prominent role in bringing economic, ecological and social benefits to its member countries and to the entire region, and
- asked the Bank to assess the need for broadening its set of financing instruments, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation with other major international financiers in the region, i.a. the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as the EU.
The Board of Governors, in which the member countries are represented at the ministerial level, appointed the Governor for Estonia, Ivari Padar, Minister of Finance, as its Chairman for the period 1 June 2007 to 31 May 2008.
NIB\'s Financial Statements for 2006 are available at: http://annual.nib.int
NIB is a multilateral financial institution owned by eight member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The Bank finances private and public projects in and outside the member countries. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies Standard & Poor\'s and Moody\'s.
For further information, please call Mr Johnny Åkerholm, President and CEO, at +358 9 18001,
or Mr Dimitrijs Alehins, Communications Officer, at +358 9 180 0296 or +358 40 533 8779.
P.O.Box 249 (Fabianinkatu 34), FI-00171 Helsinki, FINLAND, +358 9 18001, [email protected]