BTA Bank will be directed to Kazakhstan market in mid-term prospect

/INTERFAX-KAZAKHSTAN, Almaty, February 17, 09/ - Kazakhstan BTA Bank will further be directed to domestic market in mid-term prospect, the Chairman of the Board of directors of the bank Arman Dunaev announced. "When the strategy of BTA Bank was adopting, it was planned to become the global bank. Financial crisis certainly left the print on this strategy. We may simply say that the strategy more or less will be reviewed" - he said at press conference on Tuesday in Almaty. "Under conditions of foreign and domestic financial crisis, we will certainly be focused at domestic problems" - A. Dunaev added. In particular, he explained that it is about consolidation of all Kazakhstan subsidiaries` efforts, entering BTA Bank Group, including subsidiary Temirbank, insurance and leasing organizations as well as mortgage business. "Mostly the bank will engage in financing of domestic economy in short and mid term prospect" - A. Dunaev said. "Today our position is that under instability we should focus at domestic economy, but it doesn't mean that we won't contribute to the growth of our assets abroad" - the head of the Board of directors noted. Thus, according to him, the issue on additional capitalization of Turkish Sekerbank in compliance with obligations, taken by BTA Bank has already been discussed. "We will follow all obligations and signed international agreements, concerning other organizations" - A. Dunaev said. He also noted that the issue on probable sale of bank's assets abroad "needs additional discussion". Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of BTA Bank Anvar Saidenov added at the press conference that decision will be made on every foreign asset separately. "Foreign assets are different. In different banks, financial organizations, the stake of BTA Bank is different, assets themselves are different, and the situation in different countries is different. (...) Every asset will be examined separately: its prospects, what collaboration may give or it would be better to leave this asset" - he said. As informed, at the beginning of the current month, the state fund Samruk- Kazyna got control over the mentioned bank. One of system banks of Kazakhstan - "BTA Bank" according to results of the first half of 2008 was ranked the seventh among CIS banks and the first among Kazakhstan banks regarding volume of assets in the Interfax-1000 ranking, compiled by "Interfax-CEA". BTA Group - is one of the leading banking nets on CIS territory. The net of bank-partners of BTA Bank covers Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Georgia, Armenia, Kirghizia and Turkey. Representative offices of BTA Bank are in Russia, Ukraine, China, UAE and Great Britain. [2009-02-17]