Regions

Raiffeisen Bank International, one of Austria's foremost banks, has said that part of its capital requirements would be met by financial investors. This is what the bank's CEO said in a newspaper interview.

Previously, Karl Sevelda, the bank's CEO had not repeated his previous statements the thrust to seek a new partner, with a preference for wealth funds from the Middle East. The move was designed to increase the balance sheet of the bank and assist in the repayment of Eur2.5 billion or US$3.3 billion of bailout funds infused into the bank back in 2017.

In an interview with Kronen Zeitung, Sevelda said, "There are several possibilities, from a capital increase to small stakes for financial investors to retained earnings - or a combination of all of these."

He said RBI had netted a net loss in its investment in Hungary. Currently, the government is reconsidering measures to assist households in paying foreing currency mortgages whose expense is borne by the lenders.