UniCredit Bulbank was awarded the prize “Best Bank in Bulgaria” by the prestigious financial magazine Euromoney today at an official ceremony during the annual international conference of the edition in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

The award was bestowed personally to UCB’s CEO and MB Chairman Levon Hampartsumian by Euromoney’s Managing Director Richard Ensor.

UniCredit Bulbank became Best Bank in Bulgaria for a third year in a row. Every year the international jury of the edition awards its Annual Euromoney Awards for Excellence, which are among the most prestigious prizes in the financial world.

UniCredit Bulbank won the Best Bank in Bulgaria award in 2009 – a year full of challenges. The Bank closed 2008 as the undisputed leader on the Banking market in this country. The results for the first two quarters of 2009 also show a clear-cut increase of UCB’s market share by all major indicators, whereby the Bank is number one in terms of assets, deposits, loans and equity.

With assets of BGN 11.4 billion as of end June 2009 UniCredit Bulbank is the biggest bank in this country with a market share of 16.5% and with BGN 2.9 billion ahead of the runner-up in the ranking by that indicator. UniCredit Bulbank is leader in lending to companies and nationals with loans totaling BGN 7.9 billion as of the end of June 2009. Between January and June 2009 UniCredit Bulbank became first in terms of deposits which totaled BGN 6.4 billion, including BGN 3.3 billion in deposits of corporate customers (number one on the market) and over BGN 3 billion being retail deposits (number two on the market).

UniCredit Bulbank is number one on the market of investment, private and corporate banking and with leading positions in retail banking.

The Bank has over 4,000 employees who service 1.2 mio customers in over 260 branches and offices throughout the country.

The Euromoney Awards

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are among the most respected international prizes in the banking sector. The criteria for selection of the Best Bank for the various countries include an assessment of qualitative and quantitative indicators that the jury collects according to information of the audited reports of the Banks and other official sources. The Best Bank Award is bestowed to the financial institution that has implemented innovative market solutions and products over the previous year and has shown strong growth and improvement of the ratings. The amount of the assets and the business, as well as the possibilities for sustainable indicators for efficiency and profit, are some of the quantitative indicators.

Contact persons:

UniCredit Bulbank, Public Relations and Corporate Communications

Victoria Blajeva, tel: 02/9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel: 02/9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch