State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) and Mizuho Bank, the banking arm of Japan's Mizuho Financial Group, on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership to enhance collaboration across mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financing and related services. The partnership brings together Mizuho's extensive global network, cross-border capabilities and expertise in structured finance with Bank of Baroda's strong domestic franchise, deep corporate relationships and comprehensive understanding of the Indian market, a joint statement said. Under this partnership, Mizuho and BoB will collaborate on transactions covering acquisition financing, including joint origination, structuring, co-underwriting and syndication, M&A advisory on identified deals and forming preferred-partner channels for sub-participation and secondary risk distribution, it said. Besides, ancillary banking services such as cooperation in global market products for foreign exchange and interest rate hedging and escrow services in related transactions and capacity building through the exchange of best practices in acquisition finance underwriting, structuring, inter-creditor arrangements and related fields are also part of the strategic tie-up. PTI