OREANDA-NEWS. October 8, 2009. Andrei Kostin briefed the President on how Vneshtorgbank (VTB) is coping with the consequences of the financial crisis. He discussed the effectiveness of using state guarantees for loans, new retail banking technologies, including Internet banking, the use of new financial tools and more sophisticated lending products that can attract foreign investors and provide access to external financial markets.

Dmitry Medvedev applauded the bank's use of up-to-date methods in providing services for its clients. The President also noted that, while lending to Russian business and Russian citizens remains the primary task of Russia’s banks, they must also be full participants in the global financial markets.

VTB is one of the leaders in Russia's banking sector. Its main shareholder is the Government of the Russian Federation which holds 85.5% of the bank’s shares.