Tag "Russia"
Putin wins with Eurasian Economic Union
Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus recently agreed to establish the Eurasian Economic Union. Like the Custom Union before it, Russia looks to benefit the most. On May 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Sino-Russian natural gas deal transforms global energy markets
The Sino-Russian energy deal will have profound economic consequences for global energy markets and will have an impact on relations between Russia and the West. On 21 May, Russia and
Political risk alive and well in the global oil industry
Despite innovation in the US oil patch, the big stories in oil still lie outside the US—where hydraulic fracturing and innovation in drilling technology are unlikely to play a major
China plans multi-continent high-speed railway
China has announced plans to build a network of high-speed rail lines across several continents. Pollution, cost and safety concerns could be major obstacles to implementing the plan. In China’s latest
Austria-Russia gas deal exposes EU disunity over Ukraine
A recent gas deal between Austrian energy company OMV and Russian gas exporter Gazprom exposes fractures within the European Union bloc over responses to the Ukraine crisis and threatens the
Crimea annexation comes with host of problems for Russia
Russia will bear the brunt of recently annexed Crimea’s long-term economic, financial and political problems. President Putin made a triumphant visit to Crimea on the 9th May, as the region
Russia faces expanding regional debt crisis
Recent data released by Russia’s Court of Accounts indicates that the country’s regional governments are facing crisis situations with regional debts. In the past year, the level of total regional
Sanctions on Russia also hit foreign investment
On 28 April 2014, the U.S. launched its third round of sanctions on Russia, aimed at President Vladimir Putin’s cronies and their businesses. As the situation continues to deteriorate, investors
IMF oks Ukraine support plan, but risks could derail it
The $17 billion package will support fiscal adjustment and increased competitiveness. But the threat of losing control of Eastern Ukraine and risks in implementation make stability far from certain. The
Kazakhstan to increase privatization of state-owned companies
Privatization could stimulate foreign investment and aid in the growth of the Kazakh economy, but not without major challenges. Kazakhstan has announced a wave of privatization to bolster foreign investment
