Raiffeisen Banking Group is «Best Regional Bank for Centraland Eastern Europe» .Selected by Trade Finance magazine’s «Awards forExcellence 2004» reader poll.

Trade Financemagazine''s readersselectedRaiffeisen Zentralbank Oesterreich AG (RZB)andits 15 Network Banks in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) as"Best Regional Bank for Central and Eastern Europe" inthe renowned magazine''s recent"Awards forExcellence" poll."RZB is deserved winner in a region itconsiders its home market. Over the last ten years, the bank hasseen exceptional growth year after year", wrote Trade Financeexplaining the poll''s result. This year is the first time thatawards have been given to regional winners.

This award is a strong recognition from themarket, showing that our customers honor RZB Group''sachievements. It also acknowledges Raiffeisen''s strength intrade and export finance as well as the rapid development of itsbanking network in CEE", says Walter Rothensteiner, Chairmanof RZB''s Board of Management."Trade and export finance isone of RZB Group''s core businesses. We have extensive know-howand - according to our high standards - are considered to provideexcellent service quality, which is underlined by TradeFinance''s poll," says Herbert Stepic, Deputy Chairman ofRZB''s Managing Board with responsibility for both trade financeand RZB''s international banking network.



Raiffeisenbank - a 100 per cent subsidiaryof Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group -is auniversal bank with operations equally focused on commercial,retail and investment banking activities. Raiffeisenbank has beenoperating in Russia since 1996 offering a wide range of services tocompanies and since 1999 extending services to private individualsas well.

At present Bank''s total loan portfolio hasovercome USD 1,3 bln with corporate customer base showingsubstantial growth and counting more than 2500 clients.

In 2002Trade Financemagazine awardedRaiffeisenbank"Best Deal of the Year" (LUKoil - $300mln,pre-export financing).

This year the Bank is also confered"BestDeal of the Year" award ($38.7 mln, LC facility forAeroflot).

RZB is the central institution of the AustrianRaiffeisen Banking Group, the country''s most powerfulbanking group. RZB also considers CEE as its home market and viaRaiffeisen Internationaloperates a network of 15subsidiary banks with more than 800 banking outlets, as well as tworepresentative offices, in 16 markets of the region.