Regional Cooperation in Times of Economic Challenges: Successful V4 ECA Conference

As part of the Hungarian presidency of the V4 countries, our institutional pair hosted this year’s annual conference of the region’s export credit agencies. In addition to our Czech, Slovak and Polish partner institutions, the event was attended by Austrian export finance experts and representatives of the Ministry for National Economy. Discussions focused on a joint review of current economic challenges, while participants also shared their experiences of proven tools for export promotion. The meeting also provided an opportunity to further strengthen professional cooperation within the region.

The conference was opened by Máté Lóga, State Secretary for Economic Development and Industry, and our CEO, Dr. Adrienn Berta. Representatives from the Czech EGAP and CEB, the Slovak EXIMBANKA SR, the Polish KUKE S.A. and the Austrian OeKB also participated in the technical program. Throughout the day, we reviewed the tools used by the various export credit agencies to support exports from their respective national economies and their responses to the challenges of the rapidly changing international environment. When compiling the program, we paid special attention to focusing on the most current industry issues and creating opportunities for an open and informal exchange of ideas.

In the current challenging economic environment, the role of export credit agencies is becoming increasingly important. During periods of recession, our primary task is to stabilize foreign trade, reduce risks for companies and provide favourable financing options. Cooperation among the export credit agencies of the V4 countries dates back nearly a decade and today represents a key professional forum where we can jointly develop positions on significant issues, enabling us to more effectively promote them at the international level. The development of the open economies in the region depends to a large extent on export performance, so cooperation, the exchange of experiences and joint thinking represent a real resource for us in an uncertain global environment.