Eurasia / Features
US and Chinese slowdown will tip the world into recession, says IIF
The worsening economic data coming out of the US and yet another coronavirus lockdown in China will tip the world into a global recession, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said in a note on July 1.
The economics of herding in Mongolia
More and more young people may be leaving the physically demanding herding life behind to seek their fortunes in the cities, but it remains big business.
Death of China-to-Russia cargo transit routes means it’s all aboard for Kazakhstan
Vladimir Putin wants to reorientate Russian trade east and south. To some extent, such a strategy will be complicated by an avoid-Russia-at-all-costs mentality drawing commerce to a ‘Middle Corridor’.
Armenia diaspora faces waning influence on Turkey, Azerbaijan negotiations
Recent moves toward restoring relations with Armenia’s traditional enemies have run into strong resistance from the global diaspora. But will it make a difference?
CEE inflation spreading across whole region, set to last for years
Inflation is being driven up by the food crisis and disrupted supply chains, first during the pandemic and now due to the war in Ukraine, leading to fears of stagflation for the whole world.
World hit by interest rate and inflation shock says IIF
The world’s economy is being hit by an inflation and interest rate shock that shows no sign of abating, Institute of International Finance (IIF) said in a recent paper.
As Russian economy sputters, UK lures Central Asian labour migrants
More than 7,000 Kyrgyz nationals applied for seasonal farming jobs in Britain
The taming of Georgian culture: Film triumphs vex government
Georgian cinema has been enjoying a renaissance, becoming a darling of the international independent film world. But it’s also running into political problems at home.
Global red warning lights are flashing as stagflation looms
The conflict in Ukraine and high inflation threaten the global economy with stagflation similar to that experienced in the 1970s, according to a new World Bank forecast.
Q&A | UN warns crises may force 70% of Kyrgyzstanis into poverty
Reliance on migrant remittances has left Kyrgyzstan especially vulnerable to the pandemic and Russia’s war.
Kyrgyzstan’s big-dollar deal with newbie Chinese company raises questions
Bishkek is pinning its industrial hopes on a small Chinese company with no past. The opaque arrangement reflects how Kyrgyzstan’s government does business.
EU’s credibility on the line over enlargement
Austria’s foreign minister calls enlargement the EU’s biggest geopolitical instrument – but will member states use it to encourage candidates and would-be candidates at the upcoming EU Council?
Explainer | Why Tajikistan’s Pamiris don’t trust their government
Dushanbe wants obedience but treats the region as something to be exploited and ignored.
Turkmenistan: Car and beauty bans further erode women’s rights
Fresh prohibitions have crushed hopes that newly appointed 40-year-old president Serdar Berdimuhamedov would pursue a more enlightened path.
EBRD 2022: Reforms and privatisation to drive Uzbekistan’s mid-term growth
Uzbekistan's growth slowed in 2022, but if the pace of reforms continues to be as fast as in the last few years it is expected to rebound to around 10% a year once the current health and geopolitical crises are over.
After war victory, Azerbaijan keeps increasing military spending
This year it is spending more than 10% more than it did before its 2020 defeat of Armenia, and is planning to spend even more in coming years.
Georgians take up arms against Russia in Ukraine
Georgians make up the most prominent contingent of foreign fighters in Ukraine. At least nine have been killed.
Mongolia’s inflation headache goes from bad to worse as thirst for scarce dollars mounts
FX reserves fall by $1.2bn in few months—yet small, developing nation must pay for imports in USD.
Perspectives | Does a Russian bank merit a sanctions waiver for Central Asia?
Transkapitalbank has requested the US Treasury let it continue to operate in Central Asia.
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Hapless Mongolia struggles with a shortage of dollars
Caught between ‘zero-Covid’ China on one side and war-sanctioned Russia on the other, the Mongolians face mounting difficulties.
