More than 300 participants from around 30 countries attended this year’s EFSE Annual Meeting. Bank of Albania co-hosted the event and provided substantial support under the leadership of Governor Ardian Fullani. Bank of Albania is – as Dr. Glaubitt, Chairman of the EFSE Board of Directors highlighted in his speech – an outstanding promoter of financial innovations and licensed one of the first greenfield banks in Southeast Europe.

The event was opened by Prime Minister Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha together with Governor Fullani and representatives from the European Commission, the German Government and KfW. New aspects and opportunities for development finance in Southeast Europe and Caucasus in the aftermath of the crisis, with a special focus on micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) finance, were discussed around the core theme "Shaping and Leveraging the New Reality”.

Interactive panel discussions and workshops provided a unique platform for information exchange for representatives from partner financial institutions, academia, governments as well as donors, development finance institutions and private investors. The European Commission (EC), represented by Gerhard Schumann-Hitzler, affirmed EC’s continuous support of the EFSE mission also in new partner countries, including Turkey and Croatia. Carola Müller-Holtkemper, German Ambassador to Albania, highlighted in her speech the advantages of a stringent implementation of legal reforms.

The EFSE Annual Meeting is held each year in another country of the target region of the European Fund for Southeast Europe to stimulate debate on cutting-edge topics in development finance among the Fund’s public and private stakeholders.

The EFSE Annual Meeting was preceded by a meeting of its Advisory Group. The EFSE Advisory Group (LINK FEHLT NOCH) is comprised of the Governors and senior executives of the central banks of the EFSE target region. The Advisory Group provides EFSE with better linkages to local markets, shares local experiences and formulates recommendations to the Board of Directors with regard to the Fund’s strategy and operations. This regional cooperation platform has become even more important during the times of the financial crisis.

In Tirana, the EFSE Advisory Group reviewed and exchanged lessons learnt from the financial crisis and discussed recent trends in the regional microfinance sectors.

Presentations

Opening Panel - Shaping and Leveraging the New Reality

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Eva Terberger, Head of the Evaluation Department at KfW
Shaping and Leveraging the New Reality

The Role of EFSE in 'Shaping and Leveraging the New Reality'

Speaker: Dr. Klaus Glaubitt, Chairman of the EFSE Board of Directors

5 Years EFSE Development Facility

Speaker: Monika Beck, Member of the EFSE Board of Directors and Chair of the EFSE Development Facility Committee

Panel 1 - The New Reality for Financial Institutions

Moderator: Sylvia Wisniwski and Elvira Lefting, Managing Directors, Finance in Motion
The New Reality for Financial Institutions

Panel 2 - The New Opportunity: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lending

Panel hosted by the Green for Growth Fund, Southeast Europe (GGF).

Moderator: Olaf Zymelka, Head of Division Energy Southeast Europe & Turkey, KfW and Lloyd Stevens, Director, Finance in Motion
The New Opportunity: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lending

Concluding and Closing Panel - Shaping and Leveraging the New Reality

Moderator:
Sylvia Wisniwski, Managing Director, Finance in Motion
Shaping and Leveraging the New Reality

Technical Workshops on June 8, 2011

I. SME Lending: Larger Microloans or Smaller Corporate Loans? Where is the Business Case?

Technical workshop hosted by the EFSE Development Facility.
Moderator: Henk Nijland, Manager, FMO
FMO & SME Finance
Trainers:
Dörte Weidig, Managing Director, IPC
Holger Wiefel, Senior Bank Advisor, IPC
Nataša Ginolas, SME Expert, IPC
SME Lending: Larger microloans or smaller corporate loans? Where is the business case?

Senida Mesi (ProCredit Bank Albania)
Case study: Successfully working with SMEs (ProCredit Albania)

II. Another Quantum Leap in Microfinance: Preparing for Future Growth through Consolidation.

Technical workshop hosted by the EFSE Development Facility.

Moderator: Kristin Duchâteau, Head of Department Advisory Programmes, Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG

Trainers:
Dr. Modibo Camera, President, A2F
Alfredo Bello, Vice President, A2F
Another Quantum Leap in Microfinance: Preparing for Future Growth through Consolidation
 

III. Introducing Energy Efficiency Lending – What to consider?

Technical workshop hosted by the Green for Growth Fund, Southeast Europe (GGF).

Moderators:
Lloyd Stevens, Director, Finance in Motion
Sebastian von Wolff, Senior Officer, Finance in Motion

Trainers:
Torsten Becker, Project Manager, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Marjan Stojiljkovic, Project Manager, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Introducing Energy Efficiency Lending – What to consider?