10/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 10 September, the EIB inaugurated its new regional office in Helsinki, Finland. The opening of this office aims to increase the bank's profile in the Baltic Sea region, as well as continue with the development of its activities in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where it has been active since 1993. The sectors benefiting from most funding are transport and energy, as well as Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The office will also liaise between governments of the countries from the region, as well as with a variety of organisations working in the Baltic Sea domain. Jaani Pietikainen was appointed head of the new Helsinki office and will be under Michael O'Halloran's authority (head of loans division in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden, as well as EFTA countries), who is based at the EIB centre in Luxembourg. (ab)