On May 26-28 the National Bank will host Steven Palstermans, the SWIFT CIS Regional Manager, who will help the Bank in introducing the SWIFT Net new clearing service. Besides the National Bank, Steven Palstermans will hold meetings with the representatives of the banking sector to discuss the deepening of the business relations, optimization of the payment systems and the use of the new SWIFT services in the existing financial instruments. From 1997, the Georgian banking sector was incorporated into the SWIFT, which enabled 16 commercial banks to make international settlements through the Bank’s central server. From 2004, the National Bank has been using the SWIFT Net service network, being able to use new services, including the clearing system, one of the cheapest and most convenient instruments of financial settlement. The SWIFT encompasses 7500 financial institutions of 200 countries. The National Bank was incorporated in 1996. Currently, 19 commercial banks are using the SWIFT service, making transfers in an individual regime.