Latest Updates

Belarus’ battle of the journalists

The war between the population of Belarus and entrenched President Alexander Lukashenko took a new turn on September 8 as the journalists' big guns were brought up to the front in the disinformation war that is gathering momentum.

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The Balkans: External debts in uncertain times

Are countries in the Balkan region taking on more debt than they can afford?

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#BREAKING Belarus authorities try to forcibly expel Kolesnikova, who rips up passport and is detained at Ukraine border

“This is terror at the state level. Stalin's KGB methods in action. National Coordination Council leaders are being abducted by masked men. By night, then they end up either in prison or in neighbouring countries," tweets local journalist.

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MITTELEUROPEAN INSIGHTS: Belarus – out of the frying pan and into the “Rublezone”

Belarus’ faked presidential election shows how quickly a domestic problem can become international and geopolitical. Moscow looks set to force Minsk into a “Rublezone” deal that will tie their economies much closer together.

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The Tajik election—Stick not twist for Moscow

Nevertheless, one analyst holds that the Kremlin “sees growing discontent” with dictator of three decades Emomali Rahmon and “probably understands that very soon he will be unable to prevent a social explosion”.

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A general strike in Belarus could bring the Lukashenko regime down, but so far it has failed to reach critical mass

A general strike by Belarus blue collar workers could bring the Lukashenko regime down, but it has failed to reach critical mass, leading to an uncomfortable standoff

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Lukashenko’s crackdown leads to exodus of IT professionals

The restart of Belarus' self-appointed President Alexander Lukashenko's brutal crackdown on protesters has led to a growing exodus of IT professionals that will destroy one of the country’s most successful sectors.

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Climate change and the Russian economy

Russia has signed off on the Paris Accord this year and has joined the global fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But it has only set itself modest targets and made modest progress.

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BALKAN BLOG: Serbia and Kosovo under pressure to do a deal in Washington

Trailing his rival in the polls, US President Donald Trump would benefit from a foreign policy triumph. Can the Western Balkans deliver one?

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Belarus top supermarket Eurotorg brushes off the coronacrisis with revenues down only 2% in dollar terms in 1H20

Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova listed as "missing person"

250 companies ‘in queue for Tehran IPO’

Belarus top supermarket Eurotorg brushes off the coronacrisis with revenues down only 2% in dollar terms in 1H20

Belarus’ largest food retailer Eurotorg brushed off the coronacrisis and put in a decent set of results for the first half of this year that showed only a small decline in revenues in dollar terms, but an increase in local currency terms.

Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova listed as "missing person"

Opposition leaders Maria Kolesnikova, Anton Radniankou and Ivan Kravcov all went missing on September 7, assumed snatched by security services. Police say they have mounted a hunt for Kolesnikova.

250 companies ‘in queue for Tehran IPO’

The main TEDPIX index has lately fallen back from 2mn to 1.6mn points but some investors think new shares could complete a W-shape rebound.

News

#UPDATED Maria Kolesnikova and two colleagues go missing

Reports on social media describe her as abducted and bundled into a van in central Minsk on the morning of September 7, apparently picked up by police.

Lukashenko unleashes the Titushki as the people unmask the OMON

At least 100,000 Belarusians took to the streets of Minsk again on Sunday, September 6 for the weekly mass demonstration against Belarus' self-appointed President Alexander Lukashenko under the slogan “all for one and one for all"

Bulgarian protesters go toy shopping to support local businessmen targeted by authorities

Protesters buy thousands of toys from Hippoland chain whose owner Marian Kolev was hit by tax and competition probes immediately after he criticised police for pepper-spraying his 17-year-old son.

Serbia and Kosovo sign “historic” economic deal in Washington

Deal seen as a step towards full normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina comes with funding for billion euro road and rail projects.

Slovak businessman Kocner cleared of murder of investigative journalist

Slovakia’s Specialised Criminal Court acquitted businessman Marian Kocner of the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova.

#UPDATED Maria Kolesnikova and two colleagues go missing

1 day ago

Lukashenko unleashes the Titushki as the people unmask the OMON

1 day ago

Bulgarian protesters go toy shopping to support local businessmen targeted by authorities

2 days ago

Serbia and Kosovo sign “historic” economic deal in Washington

3 days ago

Slovak businessman Kocner cleared of murder of investigative journalist

5 days ago

More News

Tech

Kazakhstan headhunts Belarusian IT developers, in vain so far

Astana Hub hoping political unrest could tempt some specialists into coming their way.

Ukraine aims to recruit Belarus' IT workers

Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Ministry has opened a special web portal for Belarusian IT specialists who want to move to Ukraine and has hired Denis Aleinikov, who helped set up the famous IT park in Minsk

Skolkovo suspends key grant programmes until next year due to crisis cuts

The Skolkovo Foundation, Russia’s main tech hub with more than 2,400 resident start-ups, announced in the middle of July the temporary suspension of key grant programmes until December 31, 2020, reports East-West Digital News (EWDN).

Skolkovo suspends key grant programs until next year due to crisis cuts

The Skolkovo Foundation, Russia’s main tech hub with more than 2,400 resident startups, announced in the middle of July the temporary suspension of key grant programs until December 31, 2020, reports East-West Digital News (EWDN).

Roman Abramovich backs game publisher to design “fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences”

Norma Investment, a venture firm affiliated to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, has taken part in a $20mn round of funding for Russian game publisher 110 Industries

Kazakhstan headhunts Belarusian IT developers, in vain so far

17 hours ago

Ukraine aims to recruit Belarus' IT workers

1 day ago

Skolkovo suspends key grant programmes until next year due to crisis cuts

4 days ago

Skolkovo suspends key grant programs until next year due to crisis cuts

4 days ago

Roman Abramovich backs game publisher to design “fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences”

4 days ago

More Tech

Opinion

FPRI BMB Ukraine: The battle for control over NABU

The Constitutional Court declared illegal a 2015 presidential decree appointing Artem Sytnyk as the first (and so far, only) director of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine

COMMENT: How Covid-19 is changing international business and politics

Ever since the plague in Athens in 430 BC described by Thucydides, epidemics have followed movements of people and changed the course of history. Today Covid-19 risks challenging the foundations of business in our modern interconnected world

FPRI BMB Ukraine: Zelenskiy asks the EU to clarify membership prospects for Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week gave a rare interview to a foreign news outlet. The whole discussion, published on August 25 by Euronews, is largely unremarkable. There’s one quote worth talking about, however: will Ukraine ever join the EU?

International mediation mechanism for Armenia, Azerbaijan conflict “does not seem fit for purpose” says former co-chair

Noting July skirmishes took place far from contested Nagorno Karabakh territory, former US diplomat says clashes “may have unleashed a dangerous new geopolitical dynamic” partly given their proximity to strategic oil and gas pipelines.

TURKEY INSIGHT: How Ankara is selling more “fake” domestic USD papers to dollar-short state banks

Ex-central banker says FX bonds in question are “theoretical” as they’re not issued in line with international law. Refers to ‘local dollars’ printed by Turkish Treasury. Market unsettled by "financial alchemy".

FPRI BMB Ukraine: The battle for control over NABU

1 day ago

COMMENT: How Covid-19 is changing international business and politics

6 days ago

FPRI BMB Ukraine: Zelenskiy asks the EU to clarify membership prospects for Ukraine

11 days ago

International mediation mechanism for Armenia, Azerbaijan conflict “does not seem fit for purpose” says former co-chair

11 days ago

TURKEY INSIGHT: How Ankara is selling more “fake” domestic USD papers to dollar-short state banks

14 days ago

More Opinion

Data

Belarus is bleeding money as reserves fall $1.4bn in a month

Belarus’ hard currency reserves fell by $1.4bn to $7.46bn as of September 1, down some 16% from $8.8bn (including gold) just before the current protests began in early August, according to National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB).

Romania’s retail sales boast strongest growth in Europe again

Retail sales in Romania shot up by 4.8% y/y in July to nearly reach pre-crisis levels, and online sales surged by 48%.

Railway cargo turnover in Russia shows signs of recovery in August

Total railways cargo turnover in Russia in August 2020 amounted to 108mn tonnes, down by 1% year on year, slowing the pace of decline

Russian weekly inflation at zero at end-August

Weekly consumer price inflation in Russia for the week of August 31 remained at zero, according to the latest data by the Rosstat statistics bureau.

Turkey’s official inflation announced as flat at 11.8% while lira stumbles to new low

Knowing central bank is politically hamstrung when it comes to formal rate hikes, market waits to see if it will bring in more backdoor monetary tightening.

Belarus is bleeding money as reserves fall $1.4bn in a month

1 day ago

Romania’s retail sales boast strongest growth in Europe again

4 days ago

Railway cargo turnover in Russia shows signs of recovery in August

4 days ago

Russian weekly inflation at zero at end-August

4 days ago

Turkey’s official inflation announced as flat at 11.8% while lira stumbles to new low

4 days ago

More Data

Features

With Turkish backing, Azerbaijan ups rhetoric against Russia

It remains to be seen if this is yet another tactical balancing act on Baku’s part, or the sign of a more substantial shift.

Capital Economics and IIF report capital flows have reversed and returning to EMs

Capital Economics and the Institute of International Finance report capital flows have reversed and are returning to EMs in July for the first time since the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis began.

Belarus’s economy in danger of a crisis in the face of sustained popular protests, says IIF

Gripped by mass protests and a general strike, Belarus will struggle to meet its debt obligations this year and faces a serious economic crisis, reports the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in a paper released on September 2.

Russia’s permafrost is melting

The frozen wastes of Russia’s interior are melting. That’s a big problem for Russia, and could be an even bigger problem for the planet. A large share of Russia’s oil, gas, diamonds and metals are produced in cities that sit on the permafrost.

Happy birthday RTS, 25 years old on September 1

The dollar-denominated Russia Trading System (RTS) celebrates its 25th birthday. The predominant Russian stock exchange was launched on September 1, 1995 with the leading RTS index set at an arbitrary 100.

With Turkish backing, Azerbaijan ups rhetoric against Russia

5 days ago

Capital Economics and IIF report capital flows have reversed and returning to EMs

6 days ago

Belarus’s economy in danger of a crisis in the face of sustained popular protests, says IIF

6 days ago

Russia’s permafrost is melting

14 days ago

Happy birthday RTS, 25 years old on September 1

7 days ago

More Features

Blogs

MINSK BLOG: Artem Shraibman asks: What kind of dialogue can save Belarus?

Well-known Belarusian journalist Artem Shraibman rejected international mediation and called on multi-denominational council of religious leaders to mediate between the regime of Alexander Lukashenko and the Coordinating Council.

BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Has Erdogan discovered more reserves of hot air?

So far the markets don’t see Turkey’s gas find in the Black Sea as a game-changer and the more cynical perceive Ankara as bigging it up to put a brake on the beleaguered lira. The jury, however, is still out.

MOSCOW BLOG: Will Russia invade Belarus?

Lukashenko went on TV on August 15 to announce that he would ask Putin to help Belarus “restore order” as the protests “threaten the whole former Soviet space". Is a Russian invasion really on the cards?

BALKAN BLOG: Croatia’s unexpected tourism bonanza to lift economy

The dire projections of a washout summer season in Croatia – leading to a huge slump in GDP for 2020 given the importance of tourism to the economy – have not been realised.

MOSCOW BLOG: Does Lukashenko have enough forces to oppress the entire country?

Does Lukashenko have enough forces to oppress the entire country? The jails in Minsk are already overflowing and Lukashenko is now hanging on to power by brute force alone.

MINSK BLOG: Artem Shraibman asks: What kind of dialogue can save Belarus?

14 days ago

BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Has Erdogan discovered more reserves of hot air?

17 days ago

MOSCOW BLOG: Will Russia invade Belarus?

23 days ago

BALKAN BLOG: Croatia’s unexpected tourism bonanza to lift economy

25 days ago

MOSCOW BLOG: Does Lukashenko have enough forces to oppress the entire country?

26 days ago

More Blogs

Latest Updates

News

Reports on social media describe her as abducted and bundled into a van in central Minsk on the morning of September 7, apparently picked up by police.

At least 100,000 Belarusians took to the streets of Minsk again on Sunday, September 6 for the weekly mass demonstration against Belarus' self-appointed President Alexander Lukashenko under the slogan “all for one and one for all"

Protesters buy thousands of toys from Hippoland chain whose owner Marian Kolev was hit by tax and competition probes immediately after he criticised police for pepper-spraying his 17-year-old son.

Deal seen as a step towards full normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina comes with funding for billion euro road and rail projects.

Slovakia’s Specialised Criminal Court acquitted businessman Marian Kocner of the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova.

Tech

Astana Hub hoping political unrest could tempt some specialists into coming their way.

Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Ministry has opened a special web portal for Belarusian IT specialists who want to move to Ukraine and has hired Denis Aleinikov, who helped set up the famous IT park in Minsk

The Skolkovo Foundation, Russia’s main tech hub with more than 2,400 resident start-ups, announced in the middle of July the temporary suspension of key grant programmes until December 31, 2020, reports East-West Digital News (EWDN).

The Skolkovo Foundation, Russia’s main tech hub with more than 2,400 resident startups, announced in the middle of July the temporary suspension of key grant programs until December 31, 2020, reports East-West Digital News (EWDN).

Norma Investment, a venture firm affiliated to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, has taken part in a $20mn round of funding for Russian game publisher 110 Industries

Opinion

The Constitutional Court declared illegal a 2015 presidential decree appointing Artem Sytnyk as the first (and so far, only) director of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine

Ever since the plague in Athens in 430 BC described by Thucydides, epidemics have followed movements of people and changed the course of history. Today Covid-19 risks challenging the foundations of business in our modern interconnected world

Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week gave a rare interview to a foreign news outlet. The whole discussion, published on August 25 by Euronews, is largely unremarkable. There’s one quote worth talking about, however: will Ukraine ever join the EU?

Noting July skirmishes took place far from contested Nagorno Karabakh territory, former US diplomat says clashes “may have unleashed a dangerous new geopolitical dynamic” partly given their proximity to strategic oil and gas pipelines.

Ex-central banker says FX bonds in question are “theoretical” as they’re not issued in line with international law. Refers to ‘local dollars’ printed by Turkish Treasury. Market unsettled by "financial alchemy".

Data

Belarus’ hard currency reserves fell by $1.4bn to $7.46bn as of September 1, down some 16% from $8.8bn (including gold) just before the current protests began in early August, according to National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB).

Retail sales in Romania shot up by 4.8% y/y in July to nearly reach pre-crisis levels, and online sales surged by 48%.

Total railways cargo turnover in Russia in August 2020 amounted to 108mn tonnes, down by 1% year on year, slowing the pace of decline

Weekly consumer price inflation in Russia for the week of August 31 remained at zero, according to the latest data by the Rosstat statistics bureau.

Knowing central bank is politically hamstrung when it comes to formal rate hikes, market waits to see if it will bring in more backdoor monetary tightening.

Features

It remains to be seen if this is yet another tactical balancing act on Baku’s part, or the sign of a more substantial shift.

Capital Economics and the Institute of International Finance report capital flows have reversed and are returning to EMs in July for the first time since the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis began.

Gripped by mass protests and a general strike, Belarus will struggle to meet its debt obligations this year and faces a serious economic crisis, reports the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in a paper released on September 2.

The frozen wastes of Russia’s interior are melting. That’s a big problem for Russia, and could be an even bigger problem for the planet. A large share of Russia’s oil, gas, diamonds and metals are produced in cities that sit on the permafrost.

The dollar-denominated Russia Trading System (RTS) celebrates its 25th birthday. The predominant Russian stock exchange was launched on September 1, 1995 with the leading RTS index set at an arbitrary 100.

Blogs

Well-known Belarusian journalist Artem Shraibman rejected international mediation and called on multi-denominational council of religious leaders to mediate between the regime of Alexander Lukashenko and the Coordinating Council.

So far the markets don’t see Turkey’s gas find in the Black Sea as a game-changer and the more cynical perceive Ankara as bigging it up to put a brake on the beleaguered lira. The jury, however, is still out.

Lukashenko went on TV on August 15 to announce that he would ask Putin to help Belarus “restore order” as the protests “threaten the whole former Soviet space". Is a Russian invasion really on the cards?

The dire projections of a washout summer season in Croatia – leading to a huge slump in GDP for 2020 given the importance of tourism to the economy – have not been realised.

Does Lukashenko have enough forces to oppress the entire country? The jails in Minsk are already overflowing and Lukashenko is now hanging on to power by brute force alone.

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The political crisis in Belarus has reached a new stage. The protestors have taken control of the streets, withstood a brutal crac....

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