Bank Forum (FORM: BUY) and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a mandate letter on new projects that bring USD 50 mln to Bank Forum to provide long-term financing for private mortgage loans and develop its loan program for small and medium-size businesses, according to a statement by the bank. In 2005, the EBRD opened a credit line for Bank Forum for USD 10 mln to provide credit to small and medium-size businesses and USD 7 mln to finance micro-crediting. Alexander Viktorov: Combined with the bank’s recent USD 100 mln Eurobond and USD 60 mln syndicated loan, this EBRD loan will further improve the bank’s funding base. The bank’s external borrowing has kept the bank’s funding longer-term and relatively cheap compared with local resources.