Some 12 banks from 10 countries have participated in a US$30mn syndicated term loan facility for OJSC Ural Siberian Bank. Priced at 350bp over Libor, the facility is solely arranged by Standard Bank London, which is also agent.

This facility is the fourth international syndicated loan arranged for UralSib and was drawn down on April 19. In March 2003, Standard Bank arranged a US$32mn syndicated term loan facility for UralSib that was 60%, oversubscribed.

The loan, which carries a one-year maturity with a one-year extension option, will be used for pre-export finance purposes.

Finansbank (Holland) joined as arranger. Parex Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe are co-arrangers. Alpha Bank, Bank Austria Creditanstalt, Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz-Girozentrale and Export-Import Bank of the Republic of China are lead managers. American Express Bank, Bank Turanalem, Bre Bank and Union Bank of California joined as managers.

UralSib, formerly Republican Investment and Credit Bank – BashCreditBank, is the state bank for the oil-rich autonomous region of Bashkortosan in Russia. It is headquartered in Ufa, Bashkortostan.