http://www.bne.eu en 180 http://www.bne.eu/story3215 Rising food prices, bread riots, drought, famine, land grabs in emerging markets – headlines over the past several years clearly show that agriculture will be a key investment sector over the coming decade. So to help investors gain exposure to this under-invested sector, GAIA Capital Advisors has devised a new agricultural index that offers investors exposure to global farming companies, many in emerging markets, which will be the basis for the launch of an exchange-traded fund. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3215_thumbnail_farming.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3215 http://www.bne.eu/story3208 The Belarusian authorities may have decided not to sell a stake in Belarusbank due to the unfavourable market conditions, but a year after the last M&A deal in the country's banking sector, when Sberbank of Russia bought state-owned BPS-Bank, new bargains could be soon available – and Russian capital will probably be front and centre. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3208_thumbnail_Moscow-MinskBank.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3208 http://www.bne.eu/story3197 Anti-government street protests in Romania are now into their third week, despite a climb-down from the authorities and worsening weather. And while the demonstrators' grievances are familiar by now – swingeing public sector cuts, low salaries, tax increases, corruption, and the perception that President Traian Basescu and his administration are remote and authoritarian – potential solutions are considerably less clear. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3197_thumbnail_romania-protest.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3197 http://www.bne.eu/story3189 Welcome to bne's "Investment Bank Survey 2011", our second annual survey for Central and Eastern Europe compiled from interviews and using data from Dealogic. Despite the nervous pall that hangs over the capital markets, our 2011 survey shows that investment banks in the region managed to hold their own against the deteriorating crisis conditions. However, it's an open question whether 2012 promises to be a further step back towards the nadir hit in 2009 or the base from which a recovery in business can be built. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3189_thumbnail_inv_bank_thumb.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3189 http://www.bne.eu/story3180 At any other time over the past decade, a statement from a Turkish energy minister pledging Turkey's support for the Nabucco pipeline project designed to carry Caspian natural gas to Europe across Turkey would have been taken at face value. However, these are dark days for this heavily EU-backed project designed to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3180_thumbnail_Nabucco-thumb.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3180 http://www.bne.eu/story3179 How things change. Viktor Orban seemed almost invincible over his first 18 months in office: no chorus of international outrage, and no splutterings of anger from the country's divided and weak opposition seemed able to put the country's prime minister off his stride. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3179_thumbnail_OrbanViktor.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3179 http://www.bne.eu/story3175 Russian companies aren't famous for returning value to shareholders, but in the face of the prolonged crisis in Europe they have been doing just that with a raft of share buybacks. That window of opportunity looks to be closing, though. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3175_thumbnail_stock_buybacks.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3175 http://www.bne.eu/story3174 Ukraine is set to hold general elections in the autumn, on which a new election law is expected to have a profound effect. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3174_thumbnail_rada.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3174 http://www.bne.eu/story3173 Long before it was famous for roses, revolution and reform, Georgia was known for its gold. But today the country's antiquated laws could be pushing potential investors away – to Armenia. http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3173_thumbnail_gold-mine-armenia.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3173 http://www.bne.eu/story3165 "If we have another 10 years of these prices and wages, there will be no need for a census – a roll call will do." http://www.bne.eu/pics/1/3165_thumbnail_Belarus-RussiaBorder.jpg http://www.bne.eu/story3165