ABN AMRO Group has opened a representative office in Athens which is part of Fortis Bank Nederland’s energy, commodities and transportation network. Fortis Bank Nederland will merge with ABN AMRO on July 1, 2010.
According to ABN AMRO, the office will support its shipping finance activities in the Greek market, bringing it close to local market activities and opportunities.
The launch of the Greek representative office is part of a broader initiative by the bank to re-establish its global energy, commodities and transportation (ECT) network. In October 2009 it opened a shipping finance desk in Singapore.
Harris Antoniou, CEO of ECT at ABN AMRO, said: “We are very pleased with this major step in re-establishing our international network. The Greek shipping market is one of the world’s most important shipping markets and we are delighted to once again be on the ground here, close to our clients. Demand is strong for specialized shipping finance services in the Greek market.”