Features
Udokan: Alisher Usmanov’s Siberian copper valley
With its launch scheduled for 2023, Siberia's Udokan copper deposit is among the largest in the world.
Letter to Putin exposes campaign against US investor Calvey
Letters to President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s powerful Federal Security Service (FSB) reveal how shareholders in Russian lender Vostochny Bank sought to smear US investor Michael Calvey
Leading Czech aviation specialist turns to high-tech respirator production
It's a sort of coronacrisis-inspired version of the swords to ploughshares story. WPA, the Czech Republic’s leading aircraft component supplier, has turned its high-tech production skills to producing high-quality respirators
Armenia seeks security forces reorganisation
Behind the unexplained recent firings is a push to put the security services under greater civilian control.
Global pandemic is boon for ESG funds, outperforming their brown peers
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been a boon for environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds, 85% of which are now outperforming their non-ESG peers, according to a paper released by the Institute of International Finance (IIF)
Tourists trickle back to the Adriatic
Hundreds of thousands of people are now on the move in Central and Southeast Europe as travel restrictions imposed to contain the novel coronavirus are eased.
LONG READ: Construction work on Belarus’ Ostrovets nuclear power station almost complete, but is it safe?
Construction work at Belarus’ Ostrovets NPP is coming to an end and it is expected to come online in July. But the facility remains a bone of contention with its neighbours, who simply don't trust the Belarusians to run a nuclear facility
China and Russia blur lines on “division of labour” in exerting influence over Central Asia
Author of report from Washington think tank points to fading of traditional arrangement whereby Moscow takes care of security matters while Beijing takes care of the economic side.
Trump, Erdogan & Halkbank—John Bolton memoir throws focus back on curious events
Controversy obscured by sheer number of other issues surrounding US president. New book says it should have been centre-stage.
Belarus looking forward to a long hot summer as presidential elections loom
In his first 15 years in office, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko enjoyed impressive popularity. But he faces mounting opposition as three creditable candidates plan to run against him in August's presidential elections
INTERVIEW: PrivatBank under attack but on the mend
The state nationalised PrivatBank in 2016 and has put it back on its feet. But the management is fighting a constant legal battle against its former oligarch owner, Ihor Kolomoisky, who is trying to regain control of the bank.
LONG READ: Voters in Serbia starkly divided into pro and anti Vucic camps before ‘corona elections’
The June 21 elections most likely won’t bring any change on the Serbian political scene. Thanks to the fragmented opposition and smart moves by President Aleksandar Vucic, the SNS is heading for another comfortable majority.
CEE banks heading for one of their worst crises in 10 years
Post-COVID-19, banks in Central and Southeast Europe expect demand for financing to contract sharply, credit standards to tighten and an increase in NPLs, a new EIB survey shows.
Emerging markets enjoying their strongest crisis bounceback ever
Emerging markets (EM) stock markets are enjoying their strongest crisis bounceback ever, as coronavirus (COVID-19) infections stabilise and governments remove two-month-long lockdowns.
TURKEY INSIGHT: What gives? Lenders buy in negative real yields on inflation-indexed bonds to comply with asset ratio
It’s rather that than lend to financial “zombies” in the face of Erdogan pressure.
Ukraine’s green energy disaster is sliding towards a power crisis
Ukraine is heading towards a power crisis in the next few weeks if the government cannot come to terms with the irate owners of the country’s burgeoning green energy sector
Criminal charges are piling up against Togliattiazot owner in Russia’s top corporate dispute
Sergei Makhlai, the majority shareholder of Togliattiazot (ToAZ), has become a defendant in a new case where he is accused of ordering the payment of a $1.2mn bribe to judges of Russia’s Supreme Court to avoid a massive tax payment
bne's Despair Index paints a mixed picture during the corona storm
We have updated bne IntelliNews Despair Index, which better reflects what damage something like the coronacrisis does to the bottom half of society in the countries of New Europe. While the index has ticked up, the damage is limited so far.
LONG READ: Something for everyone in Russia's National Plan for Economic Recovery
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with the government’s new National Plan for Economic Recovery (NPER) plan last week to help the Russian economy get back on its feet after the coronacrisis
Uzbekistan pledges huge investments in troubled exclave
PM Aripov said $100mn will be spent overhauling Sokh.