Raiffeisen Bank aims to expand domestic operations which generated net profit of 97 mln euro in 2014

Raiffeisen Bank International plans to consolidate its presence in the Central and Eastern European region by expanding operations in countries, such as Romania, Austria, the Balkans, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, stated Karl Sevelda, Managing Director of the Bank, reads Mediafax.

The fourth largest bank by assets (around 6.9 billion euro) in Romania, Raiffeisen Bank has a market share of nearly 7.5 percent. Last year, the Austrian bank achieved a net profit of 97 million euro, down 3 percent year-on-year, on lower provisions, indicate the 2014 preliminary financial results.

Overall, the group recorded a consolidated loss of 493 million euro in 2014 and it announced that it will exit Slovenian and Polish markets, whilst it will reduce exposure in Russia, as part of an adjusted strategy in the context of changing economic, legal and political environments across European markets.

Raiffeisen Bank International is a subsidiary of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich, the central institution of the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group, the country's largest banking group. Aside from Austria, RBI covers 15 more markets in Europe, including Romania where serves about 2 million customers through a network comprising nearly 530 offices.