06/11/2017 (Agence Europe) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced two new operations on Friday 3 November to support companies in Argentina and Paraguay. It is lending USD$ 71 million to the Argentinean government to finance investment in SMEs via Banco de inversión y comercio exterior. This is the first EIB operation in Argentina since 1996. The EIB has signed an investment contract with the Paraguay subsidiary of Spanish bank BBVA, based on $35 million each in capital to finance enterprise projects in the farm, industrial and commercial sectors in Paraguay. Including this loan, the EIB has thus far lent Paraguay USD$ 220 million to support investment n energy, water supplies, telecoms and SMEs. (EH)