The capital increase of Chimimport was registered today under the Commercial Register. The issue was successfully realized by UniCredit Bulbank, acted as a Lead Manager and the Central Cooperative bank as a Co-Manager. What make the issue of mandatory convertible preferred shares unique for the Bulgarian market are its nine percent cumulative guaranteed annual dividend and its guaranteed liquidation share.

Out of the offered 90,000,000 new shares, 89,646,283 were subscribed - more than 99.6% of the offered shares, which makes the raised capital over BGN 199 mio. This is the first significant deal on the local capital market, considering the volume of the raised capital, which has been successfully finalized since the end of 2007 so far. Regardless of the large amount of the issue and the unprecedented economic environment, the results of the offering confirm the strong interest in the issuer both of local and foreign institutional or individual investors.

The excellent result of the offering proves UniCredit Bulbank as a leader in the investment intermediary and an indisputable innovator on the Bulgarian capital market. Less than a year ago UniCredit Bulbank as a Lead manager, organized together with UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking, London, the first issue of local public company bonds, convertible into shares, amounting to EUR 65 mio.

The current issue of preferred shares of Chimimport AD is the first and only of its kind for the CEE countries, as well as it is the only issue of corporate hybrid convertible securities, issued after the MOL Hungarian Oil Company in 2006 and the French IT Company Steria in 2007.

The capital increase of Chimimport AD is structured in such a way that to completely respond to the capital requirements of the issuer and at the same time to the expectations of the investors. The great number of individual and institutional investors, which have taken part in the capital increase, proves the attractiveness of this kind of instruments, which provide options of:

• issuing capital, without causing stock dilution;

• High guaranteed income of 9%, as the dividend is cumulative (unlike this of the common shares);

• Option of converting into common shares at any time, which highlights the similarity with the common shares and provides possibility for participation in a potential up-movement of the common shares prices, which makes them especially attractive for those who invest in shares;

• Mandatory converting after the end of the seventh year;

• Guaranteed liquidation share, equal to the issue value of one preferred share;

• Revision of the convertible ratio upon occurring of a number of corporate events, protecting the interests of the preferred shareholders.