Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus addressed a roundtable meeting of European Investment Bank (EIB) to brief the top executives of the EIB on social business, in Luxembourg recently, according to a press release. The President of the European Investment Bank, Werner Hoyer had organised the meeting at his office on March 5, 2012.

Professor Muhammad Yunus explained the concept of social business to the group and proposed various actions by the bank to facilitate social businesses in that region.

President Hoyer showed his deep interest in playing a pioneering role as facilitator of Social Business in Europe.

He also expressed his interest in creating a fund to support social businesses.

Other than the president, several senior officials of EIB group took part in the discussion, including Vice President Plutarchos Sakellaris, CEO of the European Investment Fund, Richard Pelly, Director General Operations outside European Union, Tamsyn Barton, Rémy Jacob, Dean of EIB Institute.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's financing institution. Its shareholders are the 27 Member States of the Union, which have jointly subscribed its capital.

The EIB's Board of Governors is composed of the Finance Ministers of these States.

The EIB's role is to provide long-term finance in support of investment projects. The EIB works closely with the other EU institutions, especially the European Parliament, the European Council and the European ommission. The European Investment Fund is a subsidiary of the EIB.

The Independent/Bangladesh/ 12th March 2012