On behalf of the
Banking Institution of Higher Education,
we have the pleasure to invite you to our
8^th International Conference 2006
Riga as an International Financial Center:
Exploring Opportunities and Challenges
12th & 13th October, 2006, Riga, Latvia

The conference purpose is to provide a forum for an outstanding group of international and local experts to investigate the potential for Riga, as the capital of Latvia, to become an internationally recognized financial center situated at the crossroads between the east and west. The participants in this dialogue will include key decision makers and specialists from the financial industry, government agencies, consulting firms and academia addressing the following themes in Plenary Sessions and Parallel Workshops.

Plenary Sessions:

1. Exploring the impact of the dynamic changes in today’s global financial markets on Latvia and Riga
2. Exploring the impact of non-resident deposits and transactions on the financial sector in Latvia
3. Strengthening Riga as an International Financial Center

Parallel Workshops:

1. ‘People’ issues for sustainable development:
   Human resource strategies, “brain drain”, linking business with academia for professional competencies and skills, training, and other aspects
2. Globalization and competition among financial centers:
   Dynamics of global financial markets, short-term volatility versus long-term investment, market segmentation, non-resident transactions, new financial instruments and services, back-office operations, and other aspects
3. Rules for a sustainable framework for long-term confidence:
   Impact of government regulatory and tax policies on anti-money laundering, perceived stability and financial sector growth, ICT and other infrastructure aspects
4. Riga as an international financial Center:
   Current situation analysis, growth opportunities, threats, required resources, government role, and other findings for future action

Distinguished Keynote Speakers & Panel Members include:

• Ambassador Aivis Ronis, Chairman, Latvian-American Financial Forum, Former Latvian Ambassador to USA and NATO
• Mārtiņš Bondars, Chairman and President, Latvijas Krājbanka
• James Bowen, International speaker and author, Canada
• Oļegs Fiļs, Deputy Chairman of the Board, Aizkraukles Bank
• Irēna Krūmane, State Secretary, Ministry of Finance of Latvia
• Arnis Lagzdiņš, Chief Compliance Officer, Member of the Board, Parex Bank
• Ēriks Plato, Vice President of Corporate Banking, Poland and Baltics, Nordea Bank
• Eva Selga, Head of Personnel Department, Parex Bank, President, Latvian Association for Personnel Management
• Thomas Signer, International author, Consultant, Professor, Swiss Business School
• David Taylor, General Manager, Businet, Belgium
• Alla Tkachenko, Senior Vice President, Baltic International Bank
• Alf Vanags, Executive Director, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, Stockholm School of Economics Riga

Looking forward to exploring with you how Riga can develop more effectively into an internationally recognized financial center.
Sincerely,