The National Agency of Perspective Projects (NAPP) has registered OTP Bank Plc (hereinafter OTP Bank), one of the largest banks in Hungary and a regional custodian bank, as the participant in the special legal regime "Regulatory Sandbox" in the capital market of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

OTP Group, which also includes OTP Bank, is present in 11 countries within the Central and Eastern European and Central Asian region and serve over 17 million customers. OTP Global Markets, which is also part of the group offers a broad range of services in the field of local and international money and capital markets. It supports private, corporate, and institutional clients in achieving their goals with competitive conditions, trained staff and innovative, universal yet tailor-made group-level services.  OTP Group is also amongst the leading regional custodian bank in six Central and Eastern European countries, including Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

In accordance with the Regulation on the Procedure for Granting a Special Legal Regime "Regulatory Sandbox" in the capital market, as a participant in the special regime, OTP Bank is authorized to open and operate a securities account as a foreign nominal holder at Central Securities Depository JSC and Republican Currency Exchange of Uzbekistan JSC. It is also authorized to keep a cash account in local and foreign currency at the Central Bank of Uzbekistan without obtaining an additional license.

This is an important milestone for OTP Bank along the way to establish a link to the Uzbek securities market. OTP Bank is the second international financial institution to receive this permission from NAPP, and with this achievement it further strengthens its commitment to the Uzbek market after purchasing the majority share of the Uzbek Ipoteka bank in 2023.

The NAPP believes that OTP Bank's participation in the special legal regime "Regulatory Sandbox" will facilitate attracting large-scale portfolio investments to the securities market of Uzbekistan, acting as an intermediary for global custodians, international depositories, foreign investors and investment intermediaries.

About OTP Group

OTP Group is one of the fastest growing and one of the leading banking groups in the Central and Eastern European region, with outstanding profitability and a stable capital and liquidity position. With nearly 40,000 employees in now 11 countries of the CEE and Central Asian region, the Group provides universal financial services to 17 million customers. As the most active consolidator in the banking sector of the Central and Eastern European region, the Group has successfully acquired and integrated 25 banks since the early 2000s. Currently, the Bank is a market leader in Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and in Slovenia*. OTP Group is headquartered in Hungary and has a diversified and transparent ownership structure. The Banking Group has been listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange since 1995.

* In terms of total assets: Hungary (31/12/2022), Montenegro (31/12/2023), in terms of total loans: Bulgaria (31/12/2023), Serbia (30/09/2023), and Slovenia (30/09/2023)