- + Rising tension between France and Azerbaijan are a drag on peace process with Armenia —Tensions between Baku and Paris have risen since the limited anti-terrorist operation to retake control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region last S...
- + Russia says it wants to create ‘buffer zone’ in Ukraine —Speaking on March 18, following President Vladimir Putin's re-election victory speech, where he broached the idea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sta...
- + Polish core inflation eases growth to 5.4% y/y in February—Poland’s core inflation eased growth to 5.4% y/y in February after growing 6.2% y/y the preceding month. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Erste's Croatian subsidiary boosts net profit by 55% in 2023—Croatia's Erste Bank, a subsidiary of Austria's Erste Group, announced a consolidated net profit of €241mn for 2023, marking a 55% increase ... [...
- + BOFIT: Russian growth fades, but budget spending up sharply. Has the military Keynesianism maxed out? —Based on the monthly estimate released by Russia’s ministry for economic development, on-year GDP growth has slowed in recent months, while budget sp...
- + TEHRAN BLOG: Persian New Year set to bring more gloom for Iranians—Iranians will celebrate the start of the Persian New Year Nowruz on March 20. Next year looks to be another year of economic difficulty, as the rial c...
- + Cheap coal from Putin fires Turkey up the dirty power generation league—Country dislodges Poland from second spot in Europe for electricity made with coal. Ankara took advantage of lower Russian shipment prices caused by E...
- + EU finally boosts defence investment into arms production as Ukraine runs out of ammo—European Nato countries are ramping up their defence investments, with plans to collectively spend almost $500bn this year. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Putin’s biggest fans in Southeast Europe hail election victory —Only the few remaining allies of the Russian president such as Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and Moldovan ex-president Igor Dodon welcomed Putin's...
- + Putin wins big in Central Asia, but Kazakhstan spoils party—There was a large turnout for a public assembly in Almaty held to register opposition to Putin's rule. [Author: Almaz Kumenov for Eurasianet]
- + KYIV BLOG: EU finalises €5bn Ukraine Peace Fund contribution that will see little new money sent to Kyiv—EU ambassadors agreed to back a new €5bn Ukraine Assistance Fund on March 13, part of the EU's off-budget European Peace Facility (EPF) that is used t...
- + India to headline the rapid catch up of global emerging markets by 2050 – Capital Economics —Emerging markets will eclipse the Western world in terms of the collective nominal size of their economies by 2050, with China and India as the second...
- + Russia’s inflation accelerates to 7.7% in February —Russia’s consumer price inflation in February 2024 accelerated posted 0.68% month on month and accelerated to 7.7% year on year from 7.4% seen in Janu...
- + Upcoming local elections in Turkey neither free nor fair says EU-Turkey Civic Commission—The upcoming March 31 local elections in Turkey will be neither free nor fair, according to the EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), a ... [Author: bne...
- + Zimbabwe’s VFEX to launch mineral commodities exchange in March—Zimbabwe is set to launch a mineral commodities exchange on the US dollar-denominated Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) this month as part of a ......
- + Europe has €56bn shortfall to meet Nato 2% of GDP spending pledge —European nations within Nato are facing a €56bn shortfall in meeting the alliance's defence spending pledge of 2% of GDP this year, the Financial Time...
- + EU finally boost defence investment into arms production as Ukraine runs out of ammo—European NATO countries are ramping up their defence investments, with plans to collectively spend almost $500bn this year. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Iran inks big deals to develop six oil fields —Iran has signed what it calls the biggest deals in a decade to develop six oil fields in the south and the west, a week after entering into $20bn cont...
- + Polish fashion giant LPP’s stock price collapses after sale of Russian business reported as faked—LPP fiercely denied the report, which knocked its stock price nearly 36% in one day. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Poland revives ties with Berlin and Paris in push to help Ukraine—The underlying premise of the summit was to acknowledge that stopping Russia in Ukraine now will come at a much smaller cost than having to stop it la...
- + Slovak inflation eases to 3.4% in February—It is the lowest inflation level in over two years and was down by 0.5 percentage points on the January level. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Bulgaria heading towards new snap election as talks on government rotation fail—Gerb's Mariya Gabriel has given CC-DB until noon to agree to the party's terms to form a new government, or Bulgaria will hold its sixth snap general ...
- + Former Fidesz insider draws tens of thousands for protest against Orban regime—Magyar drew an estimated 30-40,000 people, compared to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s 20,000 on day of commemoration of 1848 revolution. [Author: Tamas...
- + Moldova’s GDP up 0.7% y/y in 2023 thanks to farmers—Aside from agriculture, most key sectors are still shrinking and the war in neighbouring Ukraine has delayed structural reforms. [Author: Iulian Ernst...
- + MOSCOW BLOG: Life in Russia has always been rubbish, that is why Putin would have been re-elected even in a fair election—“Life is hard. But at least it's short.” That is an old Soviet joke that plays on the harsh conditions Russians lived under since Tsarist times. Those...
- + Three billion people will live in uninhabitable zones by 2070—It's predicted that 3bn people will live in zones that have been made uninhabitable (black areas) by 2070, say scientists. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Putin declares victory in “obviously not free nor fair” presidential election—Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a sweeping victory in the country's presidential election, after apparently winning 87% of the vote. [Au...
- + Putin says he agreed Navalny prisoner swap—Speaking in Moscow on March 17 following the release of presidential election exit polls, Putin broke his silence on Navalny’s death. The president as...
- + Croatian President Milanovic declares his candidacy for PM—Milanovic aims to retake the more influential prime minister position in Croatia's April general election. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + UAE’s Masdar, Uzbekhydroenergo partner up to evaluate potential of national hydro power storage—United Arab Emirates renewable energy company Masdar has partnered with Uzbekhydroenergo to evaluate the potential of national hydroelectric power ......
- + Uzbekistan's major taxpayers pay UZS 17 trillion in 2M24—Uzbekistan's major taxpayers paid approximately Uzbekistani som (UZS) 17 trillion ($1.35bn) to the state in the first two months of this year, ... [Au...
- + Tashkent proposes JV to take charge of construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway —Uzbekistan has proposed establishing a joint venture that would be responsible for the construction and management of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan ...
- + Turkish footwear manufacturers step up investments in Uzbekistan’s leather and footwear industries —Turkish footwear manufacturers are stepping up their investments in Uzbekistan’s leather and footwear industries, according to local reports.A ... [Au...
- + Polish inflation eases growth further to just 2.8% y/y in February—Polish consumer price inflation (CPI) expanded 2.8% year on year in February (chart) to the lowest level in three years, data from Poland’s statistica...
- + Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners nearing billion-dollar Balkan real estate deals—Reports have given rise to speculation that Kushner’s plans could have been facilitated by relationships established during his father-in-law Donald T...
- + Russians go to the polls, but would-be protesters have few options against Putin's election juggernaut—A few brave Russian attempted to protest against the stage manage presidential elections on March 15-17. A video posted on social media showed a woman...
- + Sasol, Topsoe form a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) joint venture Zaffra—South African chemicals and energy company Sasol and Danish carbon emission reduction technology company Topsoe have launched a joint venture, called ...
- + Polls open in Russia as Putin seeks fifth term in office—No genuine opposition figure has been allowed to appear on the ballot [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Hungarian government may reconsider amendments to Central Bank Act —Government may be preparing to retreat due to reactions in the financial markets to perceived threat to central bank independence. [Author: Tamas Cson...
- + Romania’s public debt reaches 48.9% of GDP at end-2023—Romania's high fiscal deficit is expected to put pressure on the public debt-to-GDP ratio, eventually pushing it above 50%. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Illiberal axis between Budapest and Balkans threatens regional stability, analyst warns—Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s close ties with leaders of Serbia and Bosnia’s Republika Srpska have encouraged nationalism and authoritarian tendencies w...
- + Kyrgyzstan votes through Russian-style “foreign agents” law in seven minutes flat—With no debate, MPs pass legislation said to ape Putin law used to crush civil society. Washington has warned “U.S. implementing partners” may withdra...
- + Disappearances raise fears over Turkey and Central Asia regimes stepping up collaboration in transnational repression—Two Tajik dissident activists vanish without a trace. Rights defenders point to frightening frequency of state kidnappings. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + NGO warns Bulgaria likely to miss 2038 deadline for coal phase-out—CEE Bankwatch says Sofia's intention to replace coal-fired with gas-fired power plants is unfeasible given it has no strategy or financial plan. [Auth...
- + ‘Russian warship, go f–k yourself’: EU rejects Ukrainian trademark application—The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has once again rejected a request by Ukraine’s State Border Guard to register the slogan "Russ...
- + Russia’s Medvedev presents ‘peace plan’ including ‘complete surrender’ of Ukraine—Writing on Telegram, President Vladimir Putin's close ally published what he called a “soft Russian formula for peace,” comprised of seven points that...
- + Profit of Russia’s Sberbank stable in February at $1.3bn—Russia’s largest bank state-controlled Sber (Sberbank) posted RUB120bn ($1.3bn) for February 2024 under Russian Accounting Standards (RAS), up by ... ...
- + Former Fidesz insider calls political rally to topple Orban—Peter Magyar, who burst into the public eye over the Fidesz paedophile pardon scandal, has made incendiary comments about the inner workings of the g...
- + Kosovo yields over Decani monastery to pursue Council of Europe membership —Closely guarded Serbian Orthodox monastery deep inside Kosovo has long been a source of tension between Pristina and Belgrade. [Author: Valentina Dimi...
- + VISEGRAD BLOG: Governments battle central banks in Poland and Hungary —The apparent threats to central bank independence are now worrying markets and the European Central Bank. [Author: Robert Anderson in Prague]
- + EU agrees to create $5.5bn Ukraine Assistance Fund—Germany wins concession that bilateral support be considered as contributions to the fund. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Uzbekistan's central bank sticks with benchmark rate of 14%—Uzbekistan's central bank on March 14 decided to stick with its key interest rate of 14.0%.The regulator forecast annual inflation would be 8-9% ... [...
- + Nigeria demands Binance hand over account information of top 100 local users—Nigeria has demanded that Binance, the world’s leading crypto exchange, provide comprehensive data on the top 100 users based in the country. ... [Aut...
- + Czech giga factory greenlighted by environmental organisations—Czechia has one of the world's largest car-making industries per capita, but it is struggling to transition to electro-mobility without a battery plan...
- + Hungary signs agreement with UAE on construction of €5bn city centre 'mini-Dubai' in Budapest—The plan would transform a 130-hectare train station yard in a northern part of the capital into a new city quarter with tourism, economic, business a...
- + Uzbekistan, China eye joint uranium exploration—Tashkent is looking to an array of international partners to hit its ambitious output targets. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + Romania’s inflation drops to 7.2% in February—February's fall in inflation was smaller than expected, increasing uncertainty about future rate cuts. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + Chinese online marketplace Temu under scrutiny by Hungary’s competition watchdog—Hungary's Competition Office (GVH) announced the launch of a procedure against Whaleco Technology, the European operator of Chinese-owned online ... [...
- + Tusk schedules Ukraine summit with Macron and Scholz—The so-called Weimar Triangle has sprung back to life under the Polish premier after an eight-year lull under the previous government of Law and Justi...
- + Spat over police chief's appointment puts survival of Montenegrin government at risk—The stability of Montenegro’s government has been seriously shaken after a conflict between Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic and Prime Minister Milo...
- + North Macedonia’s central bank maintains key rate at 6.3%—Domestic inflation decelerated to an annual rate of 3% in February, as pressures from food and energy prices decreased. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Slovenia’s GEN-I eyes €50mn green bond issue —Green bond issue to be the second by a GEN-I Group company, with the aim of supporting transformative green projects. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russia ready for nuclear war, warns Putin—Speaking to Russia 1, a state-run television channel, Putin emphasises that while a nuclear confrontation is not imminent, Russia is technologically p...
- + Russian oil refineries set ablaze in second day of Ukrainian attacks—Relentless attacks on Russian refineries have led to widespread disruptions in the nation's energy supply chain. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + EU lifts sanctions from Yandex founder —Netherlands-based Yandex NV, which holds all the non-Russian assets, announced its exit from the Russian market on February 5. [Author: bne IntelliNew...
- + VP of Kremlin-linked Rossiya Bank arrested—The Vice President of Rossiya Bank Igor Andreev has been arrested in a bribery case on March 5 while receiving a bribe of RUB2mn, according to RBC ......
- + Kremlin reportedly planning government reshuffle after Putin’s re-election—However, no significant changes in domestic and foreign policy are expected, and there are no signs that any plans for a successor for Putin himself a...
- + Navalny chief of staff attacked with hammer —Leonid Volkov, the former chief of staff of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, was violently assaulted near his residence in Vilnius on March ...
- + Navalny chief of staff hit ’15 times’ by hammer in violent street attack—The former chief of staff of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, Leonid Volkov, was assaulted near his residence in Vilnius on March 12. [Author...
- + PANNIER: Kyrgyz cabinet chief’s strictures on public behaviour have echoes of Iran and Afghanistan—Scruffy trolleybus passengers and wayward daughters-in-law among Akylbek Japarov’s targets, as well as that old favourite, lavish wedding receptions. ...
- + Dictator Nazarbayev’s foundation paid $5mn fee for fawning Oliver Stone miniseries, investigation finds—Former leader of Kazakhstan said to have constantly edited footage of scenes that critics said boosted his cult of personality. [Author: bne IntelliNe...
- + Hungarian central bank accuses government of trying to curb its independence—Economists say the infighting within the Orban regime is unnerving investors and hurting the currency, given the ongoing freezing of EU funds because ...
- + Western Balkans faces heightened risk of inter-ethnic violence in 2024, US intelligence report warns—Report says local nationalist leaders and external actors could heighten tensions for their own political gains in Bosnia and Kosovo. [Author: bne Int...
- + Poland’s central bank split over allegiance to Glapinski in face of government pressure to remove him—Rate setters divide along political lines over a vote on a resolution in support of the governor. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Hungarian government abandons 4% growth target—Hungary’s economy contracted 0.9% in 2023, ranking the country among the laggards in the EU. [Author: Tamas Csonka in Budapest]
- + Opposition attacks Slovak government plan to reconstruct public broadcasters—A new Slovak television and radio broadcaster is to be set up in place of RTVS, with a board appointed partly by the government and partly by parliame...
- + Erste Bank sees modest rebound for Hungary in 2024—Hungary’s economic rebound should be much slower than earlier anticipated in 2024 and GDP is set to expand 2.0% after a 0.9% contraction in 2023, ... ...
- + Romanian President Iohannis confirms bid for top Nato position—Iohannis stresses unconditional support for Ukraine as he takes on Dutch PM Mark Rutte in race to become next Nato secretary general. [Author: Iulian ...
- + European Commission recommends start of accession talks with Bosnia—European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Bosnia made more reform progress in the last year than the previous decade. [Author: Denitsa K...
- + Uzbekistan’s IT outsourcing sector takes off —Uzbekistan is hoping to establish itself as a major IT outsourcing centre, able to compete with the likes of India, Belarus, Ukraine and Romania, and ...
- + Pro-Ukraine Russian militias claim to have taken control of villages in Belgorod and Kursk Regions—Three pro-Ukraine Russian paramilitary groups have claimed to have crossed into Russian territory and engaged in combat with government troops. [Autho...
- + Ethiopia prepares to launch securities exchange with Ethio Telecom rumoured as first offering—Ethiopia, long absent from the roster of African nations with a securities exchange, is poised to make a significant leap forward as it prepares to .....
- + Putin fires Navy chief after series of humiliating defeats—Russian President Vladimir Putin has fired the commander of the country’s navy after suffering a number of humiliating losses in the Black Sea. [Autho...
- + Could lithium transform Zimbabwe’s economy or will the opportunity be squandered?—Zimbabwe has Africa’s biggest lithium deposits but China is acquiring many of the mines and a question mark hangs over the extent to which the local p...
- + Morocco allocates 10,000 sq km to green hydrogen projects—The Moroccan government plans to allocate 10,000 square kilometres to green hydrogen projects as it continues its steps towards energy transition, ......
- + Ukraine becomes world's 4th largest arms importer, European imports soar —European arms imports were up by 94% in 2019-23, as Ukraine's allies send military aid while also arming themselves, says new SIPRI report. [Author: b...
- + Moldova’s inflation remains moderate in February—Inflation has been in the lower half of the 5%+/-1pp target band for three months. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + With Russia and Serbia distracted, Montenegro takes aim at EU accession progress —Milojko Spajic's government tries to seize window of opportunity, but still risks derailment by domestic political conflicts. [Author: Clare Nuttall i...
- + Bosnia reportedly to get green light for EU membership talks amid push to meet last criteria—Political tensions and disagreements have blocked key reforms for years, but there is new impetus to pursue EU accession under the current government....
- + Ameriabank clinches fourth consecutive title as Armenia's best bank in sustainable financing—Ameriabank has maintained its position as Armenia's leading financial institution for sustainable financing, winning the title for the fourth .....
- + Ukrainian car bomb kills Russian collaborator ahead of presidential election—Svitlana Samoilenko, who served as the Russian-appointed deputy mayor of the city in the Zaporizhzhia Region, was killed by an improvised explosive de...
- + Record Czech poll support for ANO as its leader adopts Kremlin-appeasing narrative —Leaked emails reveals how former premier wanted to target foreign minister's family. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Ukraine court orders seizure of Turkcell units over oligarch Fridman links—Company controlled by Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund argues Russian businessman has no influence over its Ukrainian subsidiaries. [Author: Akin Nazli ...
- + CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: Missiles made in Russia, tested in Kazakhstan and fired on Ukraine—Arrangement that is no secret to the Kazakhs has started to raise eyebrows among Kyiv’s allies. [Author: Peter Baunov in Astana]
- + FDI flow from China to Eurasia is ebbing—Lots of talks, but no new deals are being announced. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + Uzbekistan Roadmap for Sustainable Investment Policy Reforms launched—An Uzbekistan Roadmap for Sustainable Investment Policy Reforms, or RSIPR, funded by the European Union and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was ... ...
- + Czech inflation slowed down to 2% y/y in February—Czech consumer prices increased by 2% year on year and by 0.3% month on month as food prices eased.It is the lowest inflation rate since ... [Aut...
- + Italian street artist's selfie with Putin prompts calls for EU sanctions—Italian graffiti artist Jorit sparked uproar last week after appearing at the World Youth Festival in Sochi, where he joined President Vladimir Putin ...
- + Ghana looks to diversify economy by refining its own gold, iron ore and other minerals —Ghana is Africa’s biggest gold producer and one of the continent’s most mineral rich countries but wants to become a lot more involved in the ‘benefic...
- + Investitsionnaya Palata announces parameters for the purchase of foreign securities from Russian private investors—Moscow, 11 March, 2024 – Investitsionnaya Palata LLC announces the terms and indicative timeline of the purchase of foreign securities (FS) by ... [Au...
- + COMMENT: How deep is the crisis in Poland’s Law and Justice party?—With important local elections coming up in April and to the European Parliament in June, the party faces one of its most serious crises. [Author: Ale...
- + Construction, ICT and agriculture push Romania’s GDP growth to 2.1% in 2023—Romania’s economy advanced by 1.1% y/y in the last quarter of 2023 and by 2.1% y/y in the full year. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + Tirana-based Dev.al acquires Rubicon to enter financial services market—Tirana-based software development company Dev.al took over Rubicon, best known for its popular instant payment app Pago.al. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Orban pays fealty to Trump at Mar-a-Lago—"The world would be better, and it would be better for Hungary if President Donald Trump returned to power," Hungarian premier declares. [Author: Tama...
- + Slovak industrial production grew by 3.6% y/y in January—The strongest negative influence came from a 6.2% decrease in the country’s decisive sector, the manufacture of transport equipment. [Author: Albin Sy...
- + Hungary CPI slows to 18-month low in February—Hungary's inflation slowed to 3.7% (chart) in February, the lowest level since August 2021, down from 3.8% in the previous month, the Central Statisti...
- + Hungary’ records extreme budget shortfall in February—Hungary's cash flow-based general government deficit reached HUF1.7 trillion (€4.3bn) at the end of February, which accounts for roughly 70% of the HU...
- + Czech unemployment remains at 4% in February—The Czech unemployment rate remained at 4% in February, unchanged month-on-month. In year-on-year terms, it increased by 0.1%. [Author: bne IntelliNew...
- + Foreign banks in Dubai to face 20% tax on income—Foreign banks operating in Dubai will face a new 20% tax on their annual taxable income, according to a law issued by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al .....
- + Russian St Petersburg Bank posts $0.5bn profit in 2023—Russian Saint Petersburg bank posted a net profit of RUB10.4bn for 4Q23 under IFRS, making 22% quarter on quarter growth and a return on equity (ROE) ...
- + Romania wins $6.7bn litigation over Rosia Montana gold mining project—Gabriel Resources sued Romania at the World Bank’s ICSID over the stalled Rosia Montana project back in 2015. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + Bank Melli Iran allowed to resume Iraq operations —Bank Melli Iran (BMI) has been given the go-ahead to resume its operations in Iraq by the Central Bank of Iraq. [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + Kazakhstan positions itself for lithium windfall—The National Geological Service says the country has lithium reserves of around 75,600 tonnes. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + South African logistics giant Grindrod ups dividend by 84% on exceptional Mozambique port performance—South Africa-based ports and logistics group Grindrod has increased its 2023 dividend by 84% following a record performance at its operations in ... [...
- + Sarytogan “going nuclear” with Kazakhstan-sourced graphite purified beyond “five nines” level—High-grade carbon element used in fission reactors expected to fetch super-premium prices. Company share price surges on ASX. [Author: bne IntelliNews...
- + CENUSA: Europe needs to reduce the risks of destabilisation in its eastern neighbourhood—Candidate states for EU accession such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remain in a zone of insecurity where Russia can intervene minimally in a hybrid...
- + Albanian crown prince reports ex-wife to police after fight video goes viral —Crown Prince Leka II seeks police intervention for domestic violence, says ex-wife attacked him with “strong objects”. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Closing gender gap in workforce could double global growth rate says World Bank—Countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia have a lower gender gap than the global average but only Latvian women have equal legal standing w...
- + BOFIT: Russian population in decline—At the end of last year, Russia has 146.2mn people living permanently in the country. Excluding the Crimea, illegally annexed in 2014, Russia’s 2023 p...
- + Hungary's OTP beats forecasts with stunning 2023 earnings—Hungary’s leading lender beat even the most bullish forecasts in its Q4 earnings report, which showed consolidated after-tax profit rising 15% ... [Au...
- + Two years later: addressing long-term consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – Bruegel discussion —Sanctions on Russia have had mixed results after two years of war, inflicting real pain on the Russian economy, but the lack of effective enforcement ...
- + Czech president says finance for Ukraine ammunition secured—Czech initiative to buy ammunition from third countries follows failure of EU to provide promised 1mn rounds from within the bloc. [Author: Albin Sybe...
- + NBU prepares the way for a digital currency with a second round of market place tests—The National Bank of Ukraine has unveiled plans for a second phase of e-hryvnia testing slated for later this year, as the regulator prepares the grou...
- + Putin reportedly promises to "help" Moldova's pro-Russia Gagauz region—Gagauz governor Evghenia Gutul announced support from Russian president amid warnings that Moscow is carrying out a hybrid campaign to destabilise Mol...
- + EU's CBAM poses financial threat to Ukrainian producers during wartime —The introduction of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in 2026 could potentially impose big new financial strains on Ukrai...
- + Court confiscates Ukrainian oligarch Kolomoisky's Russian assets —The Russian District Court of the Adygea Republic has confiscated the Russian assets tied to jailed Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, on March 5, ac...
- + US keeps sanction pressure on Raiffeisen in Russia—Anna Morris, a top US Treasury official focused on illicit money flows, will encourage banks in Austria to examine their Russian exposure and 'take .....
- + National Bank of Serbia maintains policy rate at 6.5%—The decision to maintain the reference interest rate was primarily influenced by the global economic landscape, characterised by declining but still e...
- + Poll shows Bulgarians have turned against Putin —Bulgaria took a strong pro-Western turn after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Gazli Gas responds to reports on Uzbekistan project, refutes any suggestion sanctioned individuals are involved—Statement explains restructuring that transferred Russian firm’s controlling stake in company to Hong Kong entity. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Ukrainian banks received record profits of $457mn in January —Ukraine's banking sector earned a record after-tax profit of UAH16.762bn ($457 mn) in January 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) reported on ......
- + Saudi Arabia targets Russian tourists in new deal with Yandex—Saudi Tourism Authority has partnered with Yandex Travel, a prominent Russian online travel agency and aggregator, to capture the outbound Russian tou...
- + Iran confiscates US oil by court ruling in sanctions case —Iran confiscated $50mn worth of American crude from a tanker seized last year by order of a Tehran court. [Author: bne Tehran bureau]
- + Croatia, Montenegro issue bonds to high investor interest—Croatia's 10-year Eurobond heavily oversubscribed, while Montenegro makes US dollar debut. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Russia expands military presence in Mali amidst Wagner transformation—Satellite imagery from Maxar dated February 26 reveals ongoing construction work at a former site of the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked private ... [A...
- + Romania’s retail sales post impressive 6.6% y/y advance in January—Private consumption is expected to be a major growth driver in Romania this year and the January figures are fully consistent with this. [Author: Iuli...
- + Azerbaijan launches another media crackdown—The move follows a media crackdown ahead of the presidential elections last month, which international observers said were marred by widespread fraud....
- + Farmers’ rally clashes with police in front of Polish parliament —Farmers want the EU to bin the Green Deal and end the imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, which, they claim, has depressed prices on the Polis...
- + Poland’s government sets out programme to fix rule of law—The European Commission has said that EU payouts will be unblocked once Poland restores the rule of law, which was compromised by the PiS government. ...
- + EU Commission agrees that German gas levy likely violates bloc rules—The European Commission agreed at an energy ministers’ meeting in Brussels on March 4 that Germany’s levy on natural gas exiting its territory probabl...
- + Hungary threatens to block Dutch PM Rutte as new Nato chief—Hungarian delay in Sweden's Nato membership has already strained ties with allies, undermined the country’s credibility and reinforced views that Prim...
- + Latvian government adopts €300mn eastern border defence plan—The Eastern border military strengthening and anti-mobility plan is part of the creation of the Baltic Defence Line involving all three Baltic states ...
- + US sanctions Intellexa consortium entities in Hungary and North Macedonia for spyware development —OFAC says companies in Hungary and North Macedonia sanctioned for developing Intellexa's Predator spyware. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + SpaceX launch of nano satellites marks Mongolia’s entry into global space industry—PM says he wants to see emergence of a “vibrant domestic space industry”. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Azerbaijan demolishes Karabakh Parliament building—Armenians say the demolition illustrates Baku's attempts to eradicate any evidence of the Armenian presence in Karabakh. [Author: Ani Avetisyan]
- + Energy-related CO2 emissions increased last year, but slower than in 2022, says IEA—In 2023, global CO2 emissions from energy rose at a slower pace compared with the previous year. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan cheer as CASA-1000 sputters back to life—The World Bank will provide money to complete Afghan section of the project, but it is keeping close tabs on funds. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + EU wants fossil fuel companies to help pay to fight climate change—The European Union plans to urge the fossil fuel industry to aid in combating climate change in less affluent countries under a United Nations objecti...
- + Major Uzbek gas storage expansion project linked to Russian “stoligarch” and Putin friend Timchenko—News investigation also sheds light on involvement of Uzbekistan energy tycoon Bakhtiyor Fozilov. Russia plans to up gas deliveries to Central Asian n...
- + Fugitive Marsalek of bust fintech Wirecard hiding in Russia—Jan Marsalek, the former fugitive COO of the bust German payment provider Wirecard, has long collaborated with Russian intelligence services and conti...
- + KSE: Ukraine’s state debt review 2023—In 2023, the combined state debt and state-guaranteed debt increased by 30.4% to $145.3bn, representing 85% of the estimated GDP (up from 49% in 2021 ...
- + NEO: EU ban on Russian aluminium may cause shortages, price surge —The EU has been discussing the possible ban of Russian aluminium for months but stopped short of taking such measures, If EU policymakers follow thro...
- + Qatar’s CGK Global to build $350mn hydrogen plant in Nigeria—Qatari waste management company CGK Global has said it will set up a cutting-edge hydrogen plant in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, with an investment ... [Au...
- + Ethnic Greek mayor’s conviction threatens to derail Albania’s EU accession process—Greek officials have warned for months that Albania risks jeopardising its EU accession progress if Beleri is not released. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Macron doubles down on idea of using Nato troops in Ukraine—French president for a "strategic leap" in Western thinking on help to Kyiv. [Author: Robert Anderson in Prague]
- + Poland’s parliament delays work on changes to abortion law until after local elections in April—Poland’s four-party coalition government is split on how far the changes should go. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Romanian hypermarket chain La Cocos expands in market dominated by foreign players —La Cocos reached €200mn turnover in 2023 and plans to more than double its number of stores in 2024-25. [Author: Iulian Ernst in Bucharest]
- + BMW and Romanian partner NTT Data establish IT joint venture in Cluj-Napoca—BMW says partnership will establish new hub and tackle problem of IT expert shortage. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Central Europe's top security conference moves to Prague amid pressure from Slovak cabinet—Robert Fico's government is targeting Slovakia's strong roster of think-tanks, which he argues is part of the opposition campaign against him. [Author...
- + Bulgaria’s PM Denkov tables resignation of government —Resignation aimed at triggering rotation of prime ministers, stalled by dispute between Gerb and CC-DB. [Author: Denitsa Koseva in Sofia]
- + Kyrgyzstan battles climate crisis with artificial glaciers—Cheap and simple process creates ice deposits from piped water redirected from mountain springs. Ice towers of up to 50 metres appear. [Author: bne In...
- + Decline in Kazakhstan services PMI deepens in February—Weak underlying demand trends and poor weather conditions hit activity. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Strategy of Russian VTB Bank to focus on retail—Russia’s second-largest state-controlled bank VTB announced its medium-term strategy with a profitability target of 19%-20% and focus on the retail .....
- + Making drones in the kitchen: Ukrainian civilians rise to meet military shortages—With Western support for Ukraine’s war effort suffering as a result of the United States’ failure to agree on a new aid package, ordinary Ukrainian ci...
- + Turkmenistan: Kabul market—Afghanistan wants to show it is open for business and is willing to be a good neighbour. This and more in this week's Eurasianet Akhal-Teke Bulletin. ...
- + Shipping companies latest to feel effects of “West’s very tight blockade against Turkey’s banking system", says report—Shipping companies are the latest to feel the effects of “the West’s very tight blockade against the Turkish banking system”, according to a ... [Auth...
- + Investors ramp up pressure on Turkey for more rate hikes—Calls follow latest inflation readout and warning from MIT economist that monetary policy is not tight enough to achieve the disinflation goal, with t...
- + Turkish terminal freezes Russian oil business—Mediterranean facility Dortyol recently sprung to attention when US senators claimed “masked Russian oil” supplied via facility even ended up in US wa...
- + BALKAN BLOG: Serbian president tries to move on from election controversy —President Aleksandar Vucic wrapped plans to re-run contested Belgrade election and quickly carry out OSCE recommendations in anti-Western rhetoric. [A...
- + Transcorp Power lists on Nigerian Exchange with $1.29bn market cap—The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) saw a boost on March 4 following the listing of Transcorp Power and 22 other companies.Transcorp, one of Nigeria’s ... [Au...
- + German foreign minister calls for faster EU enlargement to Western Balkans amid Russia threat—Annalena Baerbock says expansion of the EU to the Western Balkans has become a geopolitical necessity in light of Russia's "brutal imperialism". [Auth...
- + Croatian PM Plenkovic announces spring general election —Plenkovic says the ruling HDZ is "full of self-confidence" ahead of election despite a series of scandals involving government ministers. [Author: bne...
- + Ghana's finance ministry warns anti-LGBTQ+ bill could cost country $3.8bn in World Bank funds—Ghana's Ministry of Finance has cautioned President Nana Akufo-Addo against endorsing a fiercely contested anti-LGBTQ+ bill, ... [Author: Kent Mensah ...
- + Kyrgyzstan: Officials brush aside uranium anxieties over Kyzyl-Ompol field—Experts have voiced safety concerns over the field in the past, but such objections are now being silenced. [Author: Eurasianet]
- + Poland to push EU to ban food imports from Russia and Belarus—Prime Minister Donald Tusk is going to ask the Polish parliament this week for a resolution calling on the ban of farm product imports from Russia and...
- + Beauty queens in public spat as Miss Ukraine accuses Miss Russia of pageant bribery—Beauty queens competing in Miss Europe 2024 have come to blows after the Ukrainian representative accused her Russian competitor of bribing her way to...
- + Former Latvian PNB Bank depositors face August deadline—Former depositors of now insolvent Latvia’s AS PNB Banka who have yet to resolve any legal claims have been reminded of a looming deadline by the ... ...
- + Shot in the face and robbed in South Africa's "murder capital," US tourist plans to sue Google Maps—An American tourist who was shot in the face and robbed in November 2023 while driving in one of South Africa's crime hotspots has said he will ....
- + Hungarian government paid for regional online advertisement push in support of political allies—Hungary’s advertisement campaign featured the headline “Hungary protects the EU from illegal migration”. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Annual inflation in Uzbekistan edges down to 8.35% y/y in February—Annual inflation in Uzbekistan edged down to 8.35% y/y in February from 8.58% y/y in January, according ... [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Turkey’s official headline inflation moves up to 15-month high of 67% in February—Central bank watching for lagged effects of rate hikes that have taken benchmark to 45%. [Author: Akin Nazli in Belgrade]
- + Nato member Albania opens air base in former ‘Stalin city’ —€50mn renovation to turn Cold War era Albanian air base into an important Nato hub. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Kazakhstan manufacturing PMI deteriorates in February despite growth in new orders—Rate of input cost inflation quickened and output prices were raised to largest extent for a year. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + South Africa’s Transnet partners with Philippines port operator ICTSI to manage Durban’s Pier 2—The board of South Africa’s logistics parastatal Transnet has approved the finalising of a contract awarded to Manila-headquartered International ... ...
- + Ghana to set up $450mn manganese refinery, ban export of raw bauxite—The Ghanaian government has announced plans to establish a $450mn refinery aimed at refining locally produced manganese, according to Joy News. ... [A...
- + “Panic buys” push up white goods sales in Turkey as consumers fret over impending credit card curbs—White goods sales in Turkey moved up 22% y/y in January as anxious consumers rushed to stores to make “panic buys” ahead of possible government ... [A...
- + Slovak TV Markiza said to be scaling down politics in news—The reported editorial changes allegedly follow pressure from the new left-right government of Robert Fico, who has labelled the station an "enemy med...
- + Zelenskiy says situation at Poland border has gone 'too far'—Ukraine says Poland is not doing enough to contain the protests that hurt its economy during wartime. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + Newly released PMI index shows Romania's manufacturing sector stuck in recession—The Romanian manufacturing sector faces new shocks from supply chain bottlenecks and higher taxes affecting activity, in the context of already broad-...
- + National Projects 2.0: Putin proposes a raft of new projects to improve the lives of average Russians—The Kremlin is back at the drawing board while continuing improving the health of the Russian economy by updating the 12 National Projects that were l...
- + War and sanctions have forced Russia to make long overdue reforms—The pressure of the war in Ukraine has forced the Kremlin to push through a raft of long overdue reforms as its struggles to raise more revenues for t...
- + Czech PMI inches upwards in February—The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for Czechia, compiled by market intelligence company S&P Global, inched upwards in February to ...
- + Slovak foreign minister slammed by opposition and president for meeting Russia's Lavrov—Prime Minister Robert Fico praised the meeting as an example of a “balanced and sovereign Slovak foreign policy”. [Author: Albin Sybera]
- + Belize-flagged Rubymar ship sinks in Red Sea following Yemeni Houthi attack—A Belize-flagged bulk tanker, the MV Rubymar, sank early on Saturday March 2 in the Red Sea following a missile strike by Yemeni Houthis on February 1...
- + ISTANBUL BLOG: Quick dive into Turkey’s monetary madness—How did the country’s policy rate become idle on the sidelines? Given the Turkish economic mess, several explainers are needed, but here’s one. [Autho...
- + Serbian president claims West wants ‘puppet regime’ in Belgrade —President Aleksandar Vucic tackles opposition grievances over December 2023 elections, but slams Western interference in Serbian politics. [Author: bn...
- + Turkish manufacturing returns to growth for first time in eight months, February PMI shows—Input and output price components still elevated, suggesting price pressures remain strong, says Capital Economics. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Mongolia urged to “open door” to Russian Mongols who want return to ancestral roots—Campaigners want compatriots law that would apply to peoples of Russia’s Buddhist republics and minorities with Mongolic origins the world over. [Auth...
- + Polish manufacturers anticipate recovery as PMI’s growth well beats consensus in February—Poland's Purchasing Managers' Index rose 0.8 points to 47.9 in February, the economic intelligence company S&P Global said on March 1. [Author: bn...
- + Uzbek cement producer Kizilkumcement’s 2023 net profit grows 57%—Uzbek cement producer Kizilkumcement has posted a 2023 net profit of Uzbekistani som (UZS) 469.6 bn ($39.6mn), marking a 56.9% y/y ... [Auth...
- + Turkey suspected of war crimes as occupying power in northern Syria, says HRW report—Given Ankara’s denunciations of Israel’s activities in Gaza, Erdogan administration exposed to claims of gross hypocrisy. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Parliamentary elections in Iran: lowest turnout since 1979 revolution—Voter turnout in Iran’s parliamentary elections is reportedly at 40%, according to semi-official sources from Iran on March 2. [Author: bne Tehran bur...
- + Kyrgyzstan: As net tightens around Matraimov, Japarov is clearing field of viable threats—All the corrupt former customs chief's one-time allies are scrambling to disavow him. [Author: Ayzirek Imanaliyeva for Eurasianet]
- + Uzbekistan to build $10bn chemicals production complex by 2028 in Khorezm—Uzbekistan has announced plans to build a $10bn chemicals production complex by 2028.The 2.5mn tonne/year set of installations would be built in ... [...
- + Thousands attend funeral of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny despite threat of arrest—Thousands of mourners gathered at the Quench My Sorrows church in Moscow's Maryino district to attend the funeral service of Russian opposition politi...
- + Russia’s manufacturing PMI surged in February to post 54.7, its best performance in 13 years—Russia’s manufacturing PMI surged in February to post 54.7, up from 52.4 in January, putting in its biggest gains in 13 years, S&P Global reported...
- + Two ways of fighting Putin: Navalny vs Maidan—February is the new August in Russia. Ever since the 1991 coup that ended Soviet communism August was reputed to be the month of black swans that chan...
- + LONG READ: China and Russia, the industrial production superpowers that could win a war—China is now "the world’s sole manufacturing superpower" and Russia’s productive capability is greater than that of Germany’s, according to recent stu...
- + Hive Hydrogen South Africa signs wind power deal for $5.8bn Coega green ammonia plant—Hive Hydrogen South Africa has signed an agreement with a South African renewable energy developer Genesis Eco-Energy to implement 372 MW of wind ... ...
- + Polish GDP grows 1.7% y/y in Q4—Investment held up well, growing 8.7% y/y, adding 1.5pp compared to the preceding quarter. [Author: Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw]
- + EBRD approves membership of Ghana and Senegal—The shareholders of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have approved applications by Ghana and Senegal to become members of ....
- + Romania refuses to license Huawei equipment for 5G applications—Telcos in Romania can only use technology from companies approved by the government in their 5G networks. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Western Balkan leaders commit to accelerated regional cooperation —Albanian PM calls at Tirana summit for fellow Western Balkan leaders to overcome historic conflicts to achieve prosperity. [Author: bne IntelliNews]
- + Hungary’s central bank governor slams government policy and flags risks to independence —Central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy slammed the government's economic policy shift in mid-2021 and denounced attempts by the cabinet to curb the cen...
- + Tashkent announces plan for Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan free trade zone—An Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan free trade zone (FTZ) is to be established in Shovot district of Uzbekistan's northwestern Khorezm region, Trend reported ....
- + Bulgaria has just days to strike deal on new government or faces early election —Gerb’s Mariya Gabriel is due to take over the PM seat on March 8, but the government’s pro-Western backers are increasingly divided. [Author: Denitsa ...
- + Shadowy Russia firm reportedly switches 60% stake in Uzbek gas storage facility to Hong Kong entity as Tashkent reacts to sanctions jitters—A shadowy Russian company has transferred its controlling stake in Uzbekistan's largest underground gas storage facility to a Hong Kong-registered hol...
- + ISTANBUL BLOG: Here’s your F-16. Make mine an F-35—How Recep Tayyip Erdogan got himself into such a tangle trying to bag some fighter jets is quite the mystery. [Author: Akin Nazli in Belgrade]
- + In Ukraine’s Donbas, complex questions of identity and loyalty—An unrepentantly Russian Orthodox colony now finds itself accused of wavering loyalties by Ukraine’s political leadership. [Author: Neil Hauer in Svia...
- + TEHRAN BLOG: Record low turnout expected in Iranian parliamentary elections—The ‘principlists,’ or conservatives, have fielded three separate lists, while the ‘moderate and reformist’ factions have united under a single banner...
- + Turkey posts 2023 GDP of 4.5% as finance minister Simsek markets his “middle ground”—In the battle to trigger hot money inflows, the current course means the delivery of a positive real rate will only occur in the second half. [Author:...
- + Putin warns Nato of risk of nuclear war, tries to rally the population in his State of the Nation speech—Putin rattled Russia’s nuclear sabre and tried to rally the people to his flag in a time of war in his annual State of the Nation Address to both hous...
- + Envusa Energy completes project finance for 520-MW South African renewable energy projects—Diversified miner Anglo American has announced that its jointly owned renewable energy venture with global developer EDF Renewables, Envusa Energy, .....
- + Perenco commences drilling at Hylia South West in Gabon—Perenco Oil & Gas Gabon (POGG) has commenced drilling operations for an appraisal well near the Hylia South West discovery, situated offshore Gabo...
- + Annual inflation in Russia remains flat at 7.58% at the end of February—Russia's inflation rate accelerated slightly in the week from February 20 to 26, inching up to 7.58% from 7.57% the previous week, according to the Mi...
- + Russia posts accelerated 4.6% GDP growth in January —Russia's economic growth accelerated in January 2024, expanding by 4.6% y/y, up from a 4.4% increase in December, according to the Russian Ministry of...
- + Russia's industrial production up 4.6% in January —Russia's industrial production accelerated in January to 4.6% y/y, the highest in three months and up from 2.7% in December, Rosstat reported on Febru...
- + Russian nuclear company Rosatom ready to build NPPs for Africa—Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom has received applications from several African countries for the construction of new nuclear power ......
- + Kazakhstan: Population resettlement programmes declared a failure—While the population of northern regions may decrease by 600,000 before 2050, the population of southern regions could rise by 1.6mn. [Author: Eurasia...
- + Lukashenko to stand for re-election as president in 2025—Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, announced he will stand for re-election again in 2025, state media report...
As of 3/19/24 4:20am. Last new 3/19/24 4:20am. Score: 143
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