0 0 8 ▁was ▁ 9 , 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Er ste ▁Bank ▁signed ▁the ▁purchase ▁agreement ▁for ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁ 8 3 . 2 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁shares ▁in ▁Nov os ad ska ▁bank a ▁a . d ., ▁Nov i ▁Sad , ▁from ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ser bia . ▁With ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁bank , ▁Er ste ▁Bank ▁entered ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁market ▁which ▁promises ▁enorm ous ▁growth ▁potential . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Er ste ▁acquired ▁ 1 0 0 % ▁of ▁Bank ▁Pr est ige ▁in ▁Ukraine , ▁its ▁first ▁business ▁vent ure ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Er ste ▁Group ▁sold ▁its ▁Ukrain ian ▁subs idi ary ▁for ▁around ▁E UR ▁ 6 3 ▁million ▁to ▁the ▁own ers ▁of ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁F id ob ank . ▁The ▁sale ▁was ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁Er ste ▁Group ' s ▁strategy ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁ret ail ▁business ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Union . ▁Ukraine ▁been ▁growing ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁distant ▁from ▁the ▁EU ▁polit ically ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁years , ▁and ▁therefore , ▁no ▁longer ▁fit ▁into ▁the ▁strategy ▁of ▁the ▁bank ing ▁group . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁foreign ▁business ▁of ▁Er ste ▁Bank ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁newly ▁founded ▁Er ste ▁Group . ▁ ▁Sub s idi aries ▁in ▁Central ▁and