The chairman of PrivatBank explains how the bank intends to ride out the downturn through its focus on increasing liquidity and improving the quality of its loan portfolio. Writer Brian Caplen

The importance of small regional development banks in emerging Europe has surged as credit ratings decline and global commercial banks cut back project and trade finance. Writer Philip Alexander

Over the past decade, Greece's leading banks have expanded into south-east Europe. To remain competitive, however, they will now need to weather the financial storm and continue to focus on increasing their presence in the Balkans and the rest of eastern Europe. Writer Kerin Hope

Estonia has previously eclipsed the other two Baltic states as a destination for inward investment, but all three are now aiming to move up the value chain by enhancing local skills to bring in top technology and service companies, reports Tom Blass.

A fall in the exchange rate has caused problems for borrowers in foreign currency. But moderate loan-to-value ratios and high levels of capital should see the banks through. Writer Nick Kochan

Latvia has been the worst-hit of the three Baltic states following the global credit squeeze and economic slowdown. Bank of Latvia governor Ilmars Rimsevics tells Lara Williams how policy makers are responding to the challenges.

While Latvia has not been immune to the effects of the global economic downturn, it is keenly positioned to attract investors into the country when things pick up, says Olyga Ertuganove, senior analyst at Latvijas Krãjbanka.

Without an injection of millions of euros from the international banking community, Parex Bank would have gone under last November. But just six months on, Robert Anderson reports on Latvia's second largest bank's slow, but steady recovery.