bne
Tue, 31st Jan -- The Czech Republic stole the headlines coming out of the EU summit in Brussels on January 30, surprising with a sudden announcement it will not sign up to the Eurozone's fiscal compact. The move sees domestic politics in Central Europe impact the EU's fight against the debt crisis once more, with the decision clearly motivated by the stresses on the ruling coalition in Prague.

Guy Norton in Zagreb
Tue, 31st Jan -- With the recent privatisation of some major state companies not only stalling, but in some cases reversed, some are wondering what needs to change to make Serbia a more attractive place for investors.

bne
Tue, 31st Jan -- The rush by the international firms participating in the Czech Republic's huge nuclear tender to line up local partners reached a new level January 30, when Westinghouse Electric Company announced an exclusive agreement with the country's largest construction company Metrostav.

Clare Nuttall in Almaty and Ben Aris in Moscow
Mon, 30th Jan -- After BTA Bank was taken over by the Kazakh state, the government made every effort to engage investors and run a transparent bailout process. However, some investors claim the rescue effort has become opaque as the assets become a pawn in political power struggles.

bne
Mon, 30th Jan -- Turkey's monetary policy is "overburdened" according to the International Monetary Fund, which calls for the country to lower its inflation target, raise its benchmark policy rate and make monetary policy more transparent in a bid to deliver a "soft landing."

bne
Mon, 30th Jan -- Vladimir Putin has published an article aimed at taking back the political and economic agenda of Dmitry Medvedev. The publication raises hope that the core of the reform process Medvedev has pushed could continue once Putin retakes the Kremlin. As ever, implementation will be key.

bne
Mon, 30th Jan -- Almost two months after the country's December 4 parliamentary elections, Slovenian politicians finally agreed on the composition of a new government on January 28. It is hoped it will have the strength and vision to restore the country's stumbling economic fortunes, exemplified by a two-notch downgrade from Fitch Ratings.

bne
Fri, 27th Jan -- The multitude of Ukrainian businesspeople that reportedly pay through the nose for the benefits that a parliament seat offers are delighted to find that an upcoming rejig of the country's election system could cut the price by half.

Tim Gosling in Prague
Fri, 27th Jan -- Although registered in the US, Epam Systems has the bulk of its operations in the CIS, and Belarus in particular. That makes its forthcoming IPO - for which it provided an initial pricing guide on January 23 - an interesting test of investors' attitude to Alexander Lukashenko's troubled country.

bne
Fri, 27th Jan -- Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tigipko confirmed on January 26 that Ukraine will resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on restarting the country's $15.5bn standby loan programme in a fortnight or so. The statement follows a visit by a Ukrainian delegation headed by new Finance Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovsky to Washington DC to meet with IMF officials earlier this week.

bne
Fri, 27th Jan -- Major Russian gold miners Polyus Gold and LSE-listed Polymetal are reported to be in talks over resurrecting a possible merger. However, based on the former's questionable track record on M&A announcements, analysts speculate the news may simply be a leak intended to drive up Polyus' share price ahead of a new equity offer.

Ben Aris in Moscow
Fri, 27th Jan -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is playing with fire by underestimating the burgeoning Russian protest movement, which "could lead to violence", Ilya Ponomarev, a leading member of the protest movement, tells bne in an exclusive interview.