The figure corresponds to the bank's entire profit for 2018 and is more than 50% higher than last year's dividend payout, which totalled EUR 42.6m. The AGM will formally be held on Thursday.

Abanka was fully renationalised in late 2013 and recapitalised with EUR 591 million as part of a EUR 3 billion bailout of the banking system. Subsequently, EUR 446 million-worth of non-performing claims were transferred to the bad bank.

Under EU state aid commitments, it has to be privatised by the end of June. While the privatisation procedure has been conducted in secret, it is believed three bidders had submitted binding bids: Slovenia's NKBM, OTP bank from Hungary and the Serbian AIK Banka, which already owns Gorenjska Banka.