Rosbank's mortgage lending to customers in its East Siberian branch increased in the first half of 2013 to $900 million, allowing more than 2.5 million families to benefit from the program.

One of Rosbank's major partners in the region is MMC Norilsk Nickel, a Russian nickel, palladium mining and smelting company. Norilsk's largest operations are located in the Norilsk-Talnakh area in northern Russia.

Employees of MMC can take part in a preferential loan program, with rates of 7.5 percent per annum for a period of up to seven years for the purchase of real estate and up to three years for consumer loans.

"We appreciate the many years of cooperation with MMC Norilsk Nickel, our strategic partner in the region," Regional Director of the East Siberian branch of Rosbank Vitaly Kovalenko said.

Rosbank is a Russian universal bank whose majority shareholder is the international financial group Société Générale.