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Russian banks will face tougher conditions in 2024

Location:

RUSSIA

Banking sector profitability surged from RUB199bn (USD2.2bn) in 2022 to around RUB3.3tn in 2023. Rising profitability was generated by robust credit expansion, lower loan…

Limited resources will check BRICS financial clout

Location:

INTERNATIONAL

BRICS members seek to reduce the dominance of the US dollar in global trade; a less dollar-focused approach to development finance from the NDB is consistent with this. The BRICS…

Russia's construction boom is likely to moderate

Location:

RUSSIA

The completion of residential housing units reached a post-Soviet record of 110 million square metres. This strong expansion in construction activity was demand-led, stimulated by…

War in Ukraine creates opportunities for Central Asia

Location:

CENTRAL ASIA

The war in Ukraine has changed the dynamics of interaction between Russia and the Central Asian countries, which have been traditionally a source of migrant labour. Despite rising…

Smaller trade surplus will keep ruble low this year

Location:

RUSSIA

Pronounced ruble depreciation this year attests to the efficacy of sanctions in disrupting Russia’s external trade. The weaker ruble has already provoked a spike in household…

War in Ukraine will impel Kazakhstan to diversify

Location:

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan’s economy has weathered well the turbulences created by the war in Ukraine. A new context for the country’s traditional aspirations to balance and diversify economic…

Politics will drive growth in trade de-dollarisation

Location:

INTERNATIONAL

A move away from the US dollar is gaining momentum, driven by the West’s use of economic sanctions, high levels of sovereign debt and a desire to de-link monetary policy from the…

Rising Russian investment will cause structural change

Location:

RUSSIA

The war in Ukraine, Western sanctions and the redirection of external trade away from Europe towards new partners all required a surge in investment. The bulk of new investment…

Dinar ban will damage EU-led Kosovo-Serbia dialogue

Location:

KOSOVO

A Central Bank regulation reaffirming the euro as sole legal tender has alarmed Kosovo’s Serbs who see it as a direct threat to their existence and is jeopardising already complex…

Russia will trap foreign investors in a gilded cage

Location:

RUSSIA

Foreign investors seeking to leave Russia face several serious challenges. One is Russian government legislation that imposes onerous losses on those who exit. Another is that…