UniCredit Leasing has reached an agreement with DEG (DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH) for a 5-year senior loan.

The funds are purposed for finance leasing of vehicles and other types of machinery and equipment. UniCredit Leasing will preferably finance small and medium sized companies with up to EUR 10.2 mln annual sales incomes, which plan to develop and improve their business. The maximum term of each leasing deal is from 24 to 60 months.

The senior loan is payable in two tranches of EUR 5 mln each. The first payment is already being transferred to UniCredit Leasing on June 30, 2005, and the second one is planned for September 30, 2005.

“Our partners from DEG gave extremely high valuation of the development and the quality of the portfolio of UniCredit Leasing. This senior loan will allow us to continue providing our small business clients with various services on competitive conditions. UniCredit Leasing has already established itself as one of the leading companies on the leasing market with 10% market share,” Mr. Plamen Minev, Member of the MB and Executive Director of UniCredit Leasing, commented.

DEG - Deutsche Investions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, member of KfW Bankengruppe (banking group), finances investments of private companies in developing and transition countries. As one of Europe’s largest development finance institutions, it promotes private business structures to contribute to sustainable economic growth and improved living conditions. DEG invests in profitable projects that contribute to sustainable development in all sectors of the economy. In 2004, DEG committed EUR 563 million for investments projects in developing and transition countries.