Luxembourg, 11/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has just provided a global loan of 30 million euros to the Vereinsbank Riga. The loan will finance small and medium scale projects promoted by SMEs in industry, services and tourism as well as by municipalities and other bodies in environment, infrastructure, development of the knowledge-based economy, rational use of energy and upgrading of health and education facilities in Latvia. This is the third global loan to be granted by the EIB to the Vereinsbank Riga; it follows previous loans of 10 million euros in 1998 and 20 million in 2003.