A group of Coptic businessmen resident in Stockholm, Sweden have established an investment company with the aim of launching the first international Coptic bank–to be called "International Egypt One Bank"–with a preliminary budget of 100 million euros.
Investors in the project include Egyptian businessmen living in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Holland, the US and Egypt, along with a group of Assyrian-Christian businessmen based in Lebanon and Syria.
Bank Managing Director Joseph Aboud told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the bank planned to open branches in a number of countries.
"We're currently considering the establishment of an Egyptian branch in accordance with the laws governing international bank branches and international investment," said Aboud.
He went on to point out that several Muslim businessmen had also joined the project, stressing that the bank was not affiliated with a particular church or Christian authority. "It's nothing more than an investment venture," he said.
Aboud further explained that the bank planned to focus its investment activities on environmental and rehabilitation projects.
