Tirana, 13 April 2006 - The American Bank of Albania announces that on 14 April 2006 it is opening its second branch in Greece. The Thessalonica branch marks another important step in ABA’s strategy to be closer to Albanian communities living and working in Greece, whereby it can provide them with its wide range of quality services and products.

In opening this new branch ABA wants to extend its commitment to serving all Albanian citizens living and working in Greece as well as to establish a long-term partnership with Albanian and Greek businesses operating between both of our countries.

ABA is the only Albanian bank to have established branches outside of Albania. After receiving the banking license from the Central Bank of Greece and the Ministry of Development in Greece ABA started its historical journey by opening its first branch in Athens in June of 2004.

Another very positive development for ABA was the contract signed between ABA and the ATEbank (Agricultural Bank of Greece) that in turn enables both banks to provide improved services to Albanian citizens such as fund transfers in Albania, payment of loan installments and more.

Further in ABA’s efforts to offer exclusive services to all Albanian citizens living in Greece, the ABA signed a cooperation agreement with the Social Insurance Institute (ISSH) of Albania.

As a result of this contract, all pensions paid from Albania to Albanians living in Greece and all voluntary payments of Social Security from Albanian Citizens as well, are automatically routed through our branches in Greece.

During these last eight years of activity in Albania, ABA has pioneered many traditional and innovative products and has become the first lending Bank in Albania.

ABA is first to have introduced the innovative product of Internet Banking. It also offers the ABAcard White, which is a family card that allows Albanian Citizens living and working in Greece and their relatives living in Albania to withdraw cash in Albania from an ABA account in Greece, without bank commissions.

One of ABA’s major goals is to become an integral and sustaining part of the financial and economic relations between the two countries by providing its quality services and products to customers on both sides of the border.