Features
INTERVIEW: The Austrian troubleshooter cleaning up the Moldovan ‘laundromat’ bank
CEO Alexander Picker says Moldindconbank has made significant progress cleaning up its act but admits there is more to be done.
CBR monetary policy guideline has three gloomy scenarios for increasingly fractured world
The Central Bank of Russia has released draft monetary policy guidelines outlining its views on Russia’s economy for the rest of the year that highlight the twin goals of “protecting the ruble and price stability” and fighting inflation.
Tajikistan: President’s grandson is Instagram king. But is that all?
Mahmadzohir will theoretically be eligible to run for president in 2027.
INTERVIEW: How Fozzy Group's supermarkets have weathered the storm of Russian aggression in Ukraine
Faced with the realities of Russia’s brutal war, Fozzy Group has suffered both physically and financially. Silpo lost UAH7.6bn ($205.78mn) last year, while damages to the company are estimated to be UAH3bn ($81.23mn).
PANNIER: Taliban’s ‘thirsty’ Qosh Tepa Canal looming large for Central Asia neighbours
Presidents of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered for unprecedented summit, with officials wary of Afghan militants’ unbending stance on water issues at the border.
Hungarian banks struggling to cope with the inflation “public enemy”
The high inflation environment in Hungary is a big headache for the country’s bankers and is putting profits under pressure. And to make matters worse the authorities have raised taxes on the sector.
CEE easing cycles around the corner
With inflation passing its peak in most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, central bankers are switching gears from aggressively tightening rates to curb price rises to starting to cut rates to support growth.
Russia overtakes Germany to become fifth biggest economy in the world in GDP on a PPP basis
Senator John McCain called Russia a “gas station masquerading as a country” and the fact that Russia’s nominal GDP is about the same as Italy’s has long been used to dismiss it as unimportant. It turns out that is a vast oversimplification.
We’re ‘landlocked but not mindlocked’ Mongolian PM tells US on visit to Washington DC
Praising America as the “guiding North Star for our democratic journey”, L. Oyun-Erdene offers more economic engagement including deals on critical minerals.
‘Strategic partnership’ between Georgia and China puzzles critics
Despite broad support for seeking closer economic ties with Beijing, pro-Western observers in Georgia are wary of the relationship getting too close.
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Russian banking sector reports best profits in more than a decade
Russia’s banking sector made more profits in the first half of this year than at any time since sanctions were first imposed in 2014, according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Russia (CBR).
Karabakh blockade reaches critical point as food supplies run low
It’s been more than seven months since Azerbaijan closed off Nagorno-Karabakh’s only access to the outside world, and the smouldering humanitarian crisis is coming to a head.
INTERVIEW: Ukraine ready to build back better, says reconstruction agency head
The reconstruction of Ukraine will be the biggest building project Europe has seen since the end of WWII. The devastation wreaked by Russia on Ukraine is catastrophic, but it also presents an unprecedented opportunity.
Storms follow heatwaves to batter Southeast Europe’s crops
Extensive damage to crops in region, as deadly storms follow record heat.
Fears Russian war in Ukraine to increase illicit financial flows in Western Balkans
Porous borders and weak governance makes region a hotspot for illegal financial flows, warns Global Initiative report.
PANNIER: Central Asia’s dream of taking the train to the Arabian Sea a step closer to reality
Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to railway’s route, but securing funding pledges for the multi-billion-dollar project remains a big problem.
Kyrgyzstan: President’s patriarchal turn threatens constitution, warn critics
Japarov's legal tinkering looks to many like an expedient to bolster his grip on power.
Almost half Western Balkan citizens consider emigrating as EU accession hopes fade
44% of respondents to Balkan Barometer survey consider living abroad, with the figure reaching 57% in Kosovo.
Digital ruble expected to launch in 2025
Central bank digital currency could provide cheaper transactions for companies currently accepting plastic cards and paying substantial acquiring fees.
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What is the outlook for Russian oil output this year?
OPEC maintained its forecast for Russian oil production this year at 10.28mn barrels per day in its latest monthly report, despite the government’s recently announced plan to curtail exports by 500,000 bpd in August.