EU-Backed EBRD Loans Boost Green and Competitive Growth for Moldova’s maib, Victoriabank, and Eximbank

EU-Backed EBRD Loans Boost Green and Competitive Growth for Moldova’s maib, Victoriabank, and Eximbank

(IN BRIEF) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in partnership with the European Union, is extending €22.5 million in new loans to three Moldovan banks — maib, Victoriabank, and Eximbank — under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line to boost financing for small and medium-sized enterprises. Backed by EU grant incentives, the initiative supports investments aligned with EU standards, with 70 percent of funding expected to go toward green technologies. The loans aim to strengthen Moldova’s MSME sector, which accounts for over 98 percent of the country’s businesses, helping firms modernize operations, enhance competitiveness, and prepare for EU market integration following Moldova’s 2023 EU candidate status.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 16-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with the support of the European Union (EU), has provided a total of €22.5 million in new financing to three Moldovan banks — maib, Victoriabank, and Eximbank — to expand access to funding for local enterprises. The initiative, part of the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, will help Moldovan micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) enhance competitiveness, upgrade technologies, and adopt greener, more sustainable practices.

The agreements, signed in Chisinau, include loans of €10 million to maib, €7.5 million to Victoriabank, and €5 million to Eximbank. These funds will be on-lent to Moldovan companies to finance investments that align with EU standards, support digital and environmental upgrades, and open new opportunities in international trade. Around 70 percent of the financing will be directed toward projects involving green technologies.

The initiative is bolstered by EU grant funding, offering investment incentives to successful projects and providing technical assistance for banks and their clients. Backed by the EU’s InvestEU framework, the program is designed to strengthen Moldova’s private sector and accelerate its economic integration with the European Union.

“Moldovan MSMEs are the backbone of the national economy, making up more than 98 percent of all businesses and employing 60 percent of the workforce,” noted the EBRD. “These new credit lines will enable them to invest in modern, sustainable operations and improve competitiveness both domestically and internationally.”

Moldova, which received EU candidate status in 2023, is a priority country for the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan. The new loans contribute directly to its goal of supporting MSMEs and advancing green, sustainable economic growth.

The three participating banks each play an essential role in the Moldovan financial sector: maib, the largest bank in the country with a market share exceeding 35 percent, has been an EBRD partner since 1995; Victoriabank, the third largest, is majority-owned by Banca Transilvania and the EBRD; and Eximbank, owned by Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo since 2018, has a strong record of collaboration with the EBRD.

As the country’s largest institutional investor, the EBRD has invested nearly €2.8 billion in 188 projects across Moldova, continuing to drive financial inclusion and sustainable development.

Media Contact:

Vanora Bennett
Email: media@ebrd.com 

SOURCE: EBRD