Belarus tests new BUK missile system as a low-key arms race in Eastern Europe gathers momentum
CSTO states express serious concern over terrorist threat in Afghanistan
Armenia refuses to host Eurasian Economic Union summit
COMMENT: Trump 2.0 could be a blessing for Belarus
Did Russia shoot down the Azal passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan?
Plane crashes in Kazakhstan on Baku-Grozny flight with nearly 70 onboard
Russia sentences dual US-Russian citizen to 15 years on espionage charges
Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after explosion
Russia’s arms exports slump, Kremlin preparing for possible war with Nato
Ukraine invasion was ‘spontaneous’ and unplanned, Putin claims
Bulgaria’s interim PM Glavchev refuses to sign 10-year military support deal with Ukraine
Telia willing to sell its Latvian operations back to government if price is right
The EU Council calls for a European geothermal action plan
FDI in Emerging Europe hit by geopolitical uncertainty and German slowdown
IMF: The 2004 EU enlargement was a success story built on deep reform efforts
Czech National Bank keeps interest rates at 4%
Czech EPH signs agreement with Italian Enel to buy its stake in Slovenske Elektrarne
Hungary grants political asylum to fugitive former PiS minister
Hungarian households have joint lowest consumption levels in EU
Polish industrial production disappoints in November as output falls 1.5% y/y
Polish producer price deflation eases further in November
Slovakia’s Fico in surprise visit to Putin in Moscow
Slovenia sets up emergency alert system after devastating floods
Albania imposes one-year TikTok ban
Athens conditions support for Albania’s EU accession on protection for Greek minority
EU Council says enlargement is a "geo-strategic investment in peace"
BALKAN BLOG: What Grenell’s return means for US diplomacy in the Balkans
International highway tears through Bosnia’s rural heartlands
Russia reaps harvest of chaos in nearby democracies
Croatian Bosqar Invest acquires bakery Mlinar in €100mn deal
TikTok says it has stepped up moderation ahead of Croatian presidential election
Kosovo bans main Serb party from running in general election
Kosovo's population down 12% since 2011
Kosovo’s president slams EU’s “unfair” treatment
Moldova's economy shrinks by 1.9% y/y in Q3
Bureks vs. Big Macs
Serbia faces backlash over controversial foreign agents bill
North Macedonia's central bank lowers key interest rate by 0.25 pp to 5.55%
North Macedonia’s ex-deputy PM Grubi reportedly flees to Kosovo to avoid detention in corruption case
Romania's ruling coalition survives elections
Romanian liberals orchestrated Georgescu campaign funding, investigation reveals
Formation of ruling coalition in Romania faces deadlock as Social Democrats suspend talks
Tens of thousands rally in Belgrade demanding accountability over Novi Sad railway station disaster
Turkey hikes minimum wage by 30% in line with financial market demands
Turkey advances Syria engagement with energy plans and refugee return
Turkey, Syria tandem could mean piped Qatari gas for Europe and a supercharged Middle East clean energy transition
PANNIER: Why the Turkmenistan, Iran gas “friendship” is back on
Growing Islamic finance in Central Asia to unlock GCC investment
INTERVIEW: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank financing Central Asia’s green future
Award seen as Nobel Prize for human rights won by Kabul women’s rights activist and jailed Tajik lawyer
Corruption probe launched into Armenian satellite project
EBRD warns of risks for emerging markets pursuing industrial policies
Several top Armenian officials resign amid political shake-up
Azerbaijan trades barbs with French and US diplomats in online "Twiplomacy"
Azerbaijan’s Aliyev lines up with Russia and Trump, admits Georgia interference
PROFILE: Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili
World Bank approves $350mn as Tajikistan bids to fund completion of $6.3bn Rogun mega hydro project
Russia sells stakes in Kazakhstan uranium JVs to China
Kyrgyzstan’s President Japarov demotes liberal democracy in favour of a “traditionalist” ideology
Adylbek Kasymaliev appointed new chief of Kyrgyzstan’s cabinet ministers, predecessor dismissed amid tax corruption scandal
Decades-old Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan border dispute could be over
Hit indirectly by sanctions, Mongolia struggles to find workarounds
HESS: Mongolia’s unique success story between rock and a hard place at risk
Mongolia copper-gold discovery hailed for “globally significant” prospects
Tajikistan: Officials announce discovery of major rare earth deposits
Tajikistan: Rogun Dam is a white elephant in the making – report
COP29: Central Asian states losing arable land
Uzbek national arrested in Moscow bombing that killed Russian chemical defence chief Kirillov
Uzbekistan’s Moscow embassy “clarifying” details on man detained after scooter-bomb assassination of Russian general
Russia's budget oil breakeven price world’s second lowest as oil revenues recover
Southeast European countries look to Algeria to diversify energy supplies
Slovenia turns back to Algerian gas after flirtation with Russian supplies
IEA: Access to energy improving worldwide, driven by renewables
The hurricane season in 2024 was weird
Global warming will increase crop yields in Global North, but reduce them in Global South
Hundreds of millions on verge of starvation, billions more undernourished as Climate Crisis droughts take their toll
Global access to energy starts to fall for the first time in a decade, says IEA
Saudi Arabia hosts kingdom's first Africa summit, to boost ties, promote stability
Putin at 2023 Africa-Russia summit: Wiping debts, donating grain and boosting co-operation
EBRD 2023: Bank to expand into the whole of Africa plus Iraq
Botswana throws the diamond industry a lifeline
Nelson Mandela worried about natural diamonds, Leonardo di Caprio defended them, makers of lab-grown stones demonise them
Botswana’s 2,492-carat diamond discovery is golden opportunity to replicate legendary Jonker diamond's global legacy
Kamikaze marketing: how the natural diamond industry could have reacted to the lab-grown threat
Russia’s Rosatom to support nuclear projects across Africa at AEW2024
JPMorgan, Chase and HSBC reportedly unwittingly processed payments for Wagner warlord Prigozhin
Burkina Faso the latest African country to enter nuclear power plant construction talks with Russia
IMF: China’s slowdown will hit sub-Saharan growth
Moscow unlikely to give up Niger toehold as threat of ECOWAS military action looms
Overcoming insecurity to unlock the Central African Republic’s mineral riches
Russia funding war in Ukraine via illegal gold mining in Africa – WGC report
Rain, rain go away
Africa, Asia most people living in extreme poverty
10 African countries to experience world’s fastest population growth to 2100
EM winners and losers from the global green transformation
Russia blocks UN Security Council resolution on Sudan humanitarian crisis
G20 summit wraps up with a joint statement strong on sentiment, but short on specifics
Malaysia seeks BRICS membership
SDS storms fed by sand and dust equal in weight to 350 Great Pyramids of Giza, says UNCCD
Southern Africa has 'enormous' potential for green hydrogen production, study finds
Kazakhstan has no plans to join BRICS, says Astana
Sri Lanka to apply for BRICS membership
How France is losing Africa
Gabon coup attempt after the re-election of President Ali Bongo
Guinea grants final approvals to Rio Tinto for $11.6bn Simandou iron-ore project
Kenya’s untapped mineral wealth holds the promise of economic transformation
US adds 17 Liberian-flagged bulk carriers and oil tankers to Russian sanctions-busting blacklist
Panama and Liberia vying for largest maritime registry
Force majeure at Libya’s Zawiya Refinery threatens exports and oil expansion plans
Russia, facing loss of Syrian base for Africa operations, seen turning to war-torn Sudan or divided Libya
Libya’s mineral riches: unlocking a future beyond oil
Ukraine claims it was behind massacre of Wagner Group mercenaries in Mali
Can Morocco's phosphate wealth put it at the centre of the global battery supply chain?
Hajj aftermath: deaths, disappearances and detentions spark investigations across world
Sri Lanka's LTL Holdings targets African power sector
Russia's nuclear diplomacy binding emerging markets to the Kremlin
Can Niger's military junta seize the country's uranium opportunity?
Disaster season: heat waves sweep the world – in charts and maps
AI will be a major source of GHGs by 2030, says Morgan Stanley
Niger and beyond: Francophone credit delivers coup de grâce
The world has passed peak per capital CO₂ emissions, but overall emissions are still rising
Trump threatens BRICS with tariffs if they dump the dollar
SITREP: Middle East rapidly destabilised by a week of missile strikes
Colombian mercenaries trapped in Sudan’s conflict
Air France diverts Red Sea flights after crew spots 'luminous object'
COMMENT: Tunisia on the brink of collapse
Tunisian President Kais Saied re-elected for second term
WHO declares "global public health emergency" owing to mpox outbreak in Central Africa, new virus strain
Climate crisis-driven global food security deteriorated between 2019 and 2022 and is even affecting the US
South Korea’s won slides as martial law crisis sparks market turmoil
China unveils $71bn swap facility to revitalise flagging economy
Nozomi Energy snaps up major solar portfolio in Japan
Fukushima's forgotten victims as Japan shifts back to nuclear power
Balancing growth and sustainability: Southeast Asia’s energy dilemma
India’s second-largest clean energy company ReNew plans to go private
India's Competition Commission approves major steel industry acquisition
Trump vows to block Nippon Steel's $14bn bid for US Steel
China dismisses Trump's tariff threat, warns of 'no winners' in trade war
Iraq blocks IMDb website over 'immoral content' claims
Display unveils groundbreaking 50% stretchable screen: a game-changer for fashion and mobility
South Korean users flock to YouTube and Instagram as local platforms struggle
Bahrain and Iran to begin talks on normalising relations
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait set to offer Russians visa-free entry
Jaw-dropping discovery: 450,000-year-old tooth unearthed in Iran
China's COMAC eyes Saudi Arabia as launchpad for international expansion
Iran lifts bans on WhatsApp and Google Play, promising wider online access
Dollar hits new high in Tehran ahead of international holidays
Israel claims responsibility for Hamas leader Haniyeh's July death in Iran
Iran's former foreign minister proposes new MWADA regional security framework
Trump signals readiness for Iran nuclear talks via Omani channel – Iraqi media
Iraq halts oil exports to Syria amid regional instability
Israel's Mossad chief calls for direct Iran strike after missile hits Tel Aviv
PODCAST: Emerging Global's Mathew Cohen talks with Ruthie Blum
Iran's Supreme Leader rejects claims of regional proxy forces
Qatar-Turkey-Europe gas pipeline ambition could be back on following fall of Assad
As jubilant Syrian refugees in Turkey celebrate Assad downfall, analysts wonder what comes next in power vacuum
Erdogan sets Damascus as final target for “rebels” advancing in Syria
Kuwait greenlights tax deal with Iraq to prevent double taxation
Iran demands 'equal footing' with Kuwaiti and Saudi plans to drill for gas in Gulf
Middle East power grid struggles as demand hits record high
Iraq braces for severe heatwave with temperatures to reach 49C
Iranian ambassador claims US sets conditions on Syrian-Iranian relations
Israeli settlers from extremist sect cross into Lebanon, IDF confirms
How Assad turned Syria into a narco-state
So you want to get on the right side of Donald Trump? Try gift-wrapping a hotel
ANALYSIS: Regional escalation on the table following Israeli strike on Iran
Sea of Oman oil terminal boosts export resilience amid tensions with Israel
Qatar joins regional powers in Damascus diplomatic outreach
COMMENT: A stable Syria could become a major energy hub
Germany ignored multiple warnings by Saudi Arabia before Magdeburg attack
Saudi Arabia extracts lithium from oilfield runoff, plans commercial pilot
Christmas tree set on fire in Syrian city by masked gunmen
ISTANBUL BLOG: After “conquering” Damascus, Erdogan turns his eye to the Kurds
Israel launches biggest strike in Yemen, killing 40 people
TEHRAN BLOG: Pezeshkian's dilemma over Haniyeh's assassination
Iranian foreign ministry condemns Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran
Reactions to the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran
Argentina announces ambitious nuclear programme linked to AI development
Latin America set for tepid growth as Trump tariff threat looms, ECLAC says
Latin America urged to boost tax take and private investment to close development gap
IMF: Breaking Latin America’s cycle of low growth and violence
COMMENT: Trump’s White House picks signal rocky start with Latin America
Latin America trapped in low growth cycle, ECLAC warns
Bolivian ex-president Evo Morales faces formal charges of human trafficking
Geothermal energy poised for major global expansion, says IEA chief Fatih Birol
US-Cuba rum war spills over as Biden law stirs Havana Club row
Brutal gang violence over failed voodoo spell claims nearly 200 lives in Haiti's capital
Mexican cartel boss who created fearsome Zetas returns to face justice after US deportation
Paraguay stands firm with Taiwan amid growing Chinese pressure
Murder exposes secret prostitution ring in Peruvian Congress
Protests in Bangladesh escalate, demanding president leave office
Bangladesh tribunal issues arrest warrant against ousted PM Sheikh Hasina
World Bank says Bangladesh GDP growth to shrink in FY25
US imposes preliminary duties on Southeast Asian solar imports
COMMENT: From Globalisation to “slowbalisation” as FDIs decline on trade and geopolitical woes
Angkor Archaeological Park attracts nearly 700,000 foreign tourists in nine months
Asia’s shipbuilding renaissance: record orders and rising prices
Almost two-thirds of Malaysians favourable towards China
Blinken warns Taiwan crisis could trigger global economic turmoil
Peru's APEC summit exposes trade tug-of-war between Beijing and Washington
Rising gold ETF inflows set to drive global bullion prices
Russian exports of diamonds to Hong Kong up 18-fold in 5M24
Gazli Gas responds to reports on Uzbekistan project, refutes any suggestion sanctioned individuals are involved
Valuation questions raised over Blackstone's $2.1bn IPO of India’s International Gemmologist Institute
Where does nuclear power-use stand in post-COP29 Asia?
Boldly brewing where no one has brewed before: Japanese sake to be made in space
BCPG to invest $945mn in power projects, prioritising clean energy
Malaysia’s industrial growth slows in October following mixed sector performance
Myanmar junta to allow observers for controversial 2025 election amid ongoing conflict
Nepal floods - death toll rises to 209
Kolkata hospital rape and murder case sparks international outcry, raises questions
South Asia hit by floods and landslides after heavy rainfall
Russian pivot to the Global South includes unscrupulous army recruiting practices
North Korea’s missile support to Russia raises alarms at UN
North Korean troops face heavy losses in Russia-Ukraine War as conflict intensifies
North Korean troops suffer casualties in Ukraine conflict
South Korea intensifies military drills to bolster defences against North Korean drone threat
Security personnel dead as Imran Khan’s supporters breach Islamabad lockdown
Pakistan could quit TAPI as India now “extremely lukewarm” on gas pipeline project, says report
Papua New Guinea tribal conflict leaves 30 dead amid gold mine dispute
South Korea's acting president rejects six controversial bills amid growing tensions
Korean won dips to crisis levels amid US rate cuts and market volatility
Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports in October up 18.22%
Taiwan boosts defence with advanced Abrams tanks amid rising Chinese tensions
Japan plans tax hike to fund $280bn military buildup
German Prosecutors Confirm Termination of Money Laundering Investigation Against Alisher Usmanov
Comments by President of the Russian Fertilizers Producers Association Andrey Guryev on bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin
PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC green chemistry research grants awarded for the 8th time to world's best young scientists
PhosAgro Tops RAEX ESG Ranking
Download the pdf version
Try PRO
EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said on November 15 they will expand the scope of sanctions on Belarus in response to the migrant crisis on the border with Poland, where thousands of refugees are trapped in rapidly deteriorating conditions.
Specifically, the new sanctions could target airlines and tourist agencies, including the individuals that run them, that are facilitating the flow of migrants to Minsk, mostly from the Middle East, according to the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
The decision by 27 EU foreign ministers reflected “the determination by the European Union to stand up to the instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes,” Borrell said.
In addition, the idea of cancelling overflight rights for Belarusian aviation was mooted in an effort to prevent planes from getting to Minsk. But apart from the general comments, few details were released and diplomats attending the meeting said it would take several weeks to thrash out concrete measures and draw up lists of those that could be targeted.
The EU has accused Belarus of a “hybrid war” that has drawn up to 10,000 migrants to Belarus with the promise of allowing them to cross into the EU since August. Most migrants are hoping to reach Germany, where the social benefits for asylum seekers are amongst the most generous on offer, but Poland has a hard line on migrants and will not admit them or allow them to transit through its territory on their way to Germany.
Two diplomats told Reuters that the EU is also considering imposing sanctions on Belarus' main airport in a bid to make it more difficult for airlines to bring in migrants.
"We will give the green light to extending the legal framework of our sanctions against Belarus so that it can be applied to everyone who participates in smuggling migrants to this country," Borrell told French weekend newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.
Borrell added that executives at airlines and travel agencies could be hit with travel bans and asset freezes in the European Union. Some 30 Belarus government officials thought to be involved in the crisis could also be targeted with sanctions, Borrell said.
The EU has already imposed four rounds of sanctions on the Belarusian authorities and senior officials over last year’s disputed election and the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters that followed.
“We are far from the end of the spiral of sanctions,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. “Those that don’t must expect tough sanctions. The situation is so dramatic that I can no longer rule out the denial of overflight rights or landing permission in the European area.”
Belarus flag carrier Belavia is among the airlines likely to be targeted, and Maas called on other companies to follow the example of Turkish Airlines by restricting flights to the Belarus capital. Istanbul has been a major transit route from the Middle East, where migrants can board Belavia planes to Minsk. However, under pressure from the EU Turkey has cancelled those flights since the end of last week. Migrants have already switched to alternative routes via Damascus and Beirut on their way to Minsk.
Russia’s Aeroflot is not expected to be included in the sanctions list. Aeroflot issued a statement last week after its name was mentioned as a possible sanctions target pointing out that it doesn't fly to Minsk from the Middle East and has been in no way involved in ferrying migrants to Belarus.
Poland and the Baltic states have been vocally accusing Moscow of orchestrating the crisis, claims that Russia has equally vigorously denied. As bne IntelliNews columnist Mark Galeotti argued in his latest column it is unlikely that Russian President Vladimir Putin has had much to do with the idea, but at the same time the Kremlin has not been shy of taking advantage of the melee.
Lukashenko also offered to fly anyone that wanted to go home back to their country of origin, but then went on to say none of the migrants wanted to leave.
“We’re ready … to put them on planes that will carry them back home,” said Lukashenko in televised remarks to government officials. “But these are people who, it must be said, are very stubborn: Nobody wants to go back. And it’s clear why: they have nowhere to go back to.”
A large crowd of migrants and refugees had gathered at a shut border crossing between Poland and Belarus, videos released by Poland’s border guards and defence ministry showed on November 15.
“More and more groups of migrants are being brought to the Kuznica border crossing by Belarusian forces,” the defence ministry said on Twitter, as videos appeared to show hundreds of people in front of lines of Polish police and soldiers.
Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik said there were “thousands of migrants” at the crossing. “Polish forces are prepared for any scenario,” he said as cited by Al Jazeera.
Latvia has deployed 3,000 troops for a previously unannounced military exercise near its border with Belarus amid the border crisis.
“We cannot exclude that part of these (migrant) groups will move further north and can reach the Latvian border. We’re ready for it,” Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks told the national broadcaster.
The message to Belarus is that the Latvian army movements are “not just for fun”, he added.
The military drill began on Saturday and is scheduled to last until December 12, army spokeswoman Sandra Brale told the Baltic News Service.
Register here to continue reading this article and 8 more for free or purchase 12 months full website access
Register to read the bne monthly magazine for free:
Already registered
Google Captcha Failed!
Password could contain only a-z0-9\+*?[^]$(){}=!<>|:-_ characters and have 8-20 symbols length.
Please complete your registration by confirming your email address.
A confirmation email has been sent to the email address you provided.
Forgotten password?
Email field can't be empty.
No user with this email address.
Access recovery request has expired, or you are using the wrong recovery token. Please, try again.
Access recover request has expired. Please, try again.
To continue viewing our content you need to complete the registration process.
Please look for an email that was sent to with the subject line "Confirmation bne IntelliNews access". This email will have instructions on how to complete registration process. Please check in your "Junk" folder in case this communication was misdirected in your email system.
If you have any questions please contact us at sales@intellinews.com
Sorry, but you have used all your free articles fro this month for bne IntelliNews. Subscribe to continue reading for only $119 per year.
Your subscription includes:
For the meantime we are also offering a free subscription to bne's digital weekly newspaper to subscribers to the online package.
Click here for more subscription options, including to the print version of our flagship monthly magazine:
More subscription options
Take a trial to our premium daily news service aimed at professional investors that covers the 30 countries of emerging Europe:
Get IntelliNews PRO
For any other enquiries about our products or corporate discounts please contact us at sales@intellinews.com
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, unsubscribe here.
Magazine annual electronic subscription
Website & Archive annual subscription