COVID-19 and Trump’s indifference helped human rights abusers in 2020
Belarusian government sees $2bn of withdrawals, issues $580mn worth of bonds in 2020
Lukashenko: I am no enemy of the people
Storming parliaments: New Europe's greatest hits
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EU to begin certifying Russian Sputnik V vaccine for use in Europe
New Ukrainian VC firm QPDigital aims to invest up to $100 million in digital startups
EBRD investments reach record €11bn in pandemic-struck 2020
FPRI BMB Ukraine: Most Ukrainians are optimistic about 2021 – poll
OUTLOOK 2021 Lithuania
EBRD says loan to Estonia’s controversial Porto Franco project was never disbursed
Estonian premier quits after Tallinn development scandal
Top Centre Party official suspected of corruption in Tallinn real estate scandal
Czech Pirates and Mayors approve final coalition agreement for 2021 elections
OUTLOOK 2021 Czechia
BRICKS & MORTAR: Rosier future beckons for CEE retailers after year of change and disruption
Romanian tech entrepreneurs expand into banking sector
OUTLOOK 2021 Hungary
Hungarian government remains silent after Capitol riots
World Bank expects modest recovery for Europe and Central Asia in 2021
FDI inflows to CEE down 58% in 1H20 but rebound expected
OUTLOOK 2021 Slovakia
Slovakia to invest €1.2bn in digitisation
BALKAN BLOG: The controversial recipe for building up Albania
Heavy flooding causes chaos in parts of Southeast Europe
Vodafone Albania plans €100mn infrastructure investments after AbCom merger
OUTLOOK 2021 Albania
Kyiv accuses Bosnian President Dodik of lying about icon gifted to Russian foreign minister
Bosnia’s real GDP contracts 6.3% y/y in 3Q20
Sofia-based LAUNCHub Ventures holds first close of new fund on €44mn
ING THINK: Growth in the Balkans: from zero to hero again?
OUTLOOK 2020 Bulgaria
Labour demand down 28% y/y in Croatia in 2020
Zagreb Stock Exchange's Crobex10 index at highest level since March 5
OUTLOOK 2021 Kosovo
Arrera Automobili aims to launch Albania’s first supercar
World Bank revises projection for Moldova’s 2020 GDP decline to 7.2%
Moldova’s PM resigns to prepare the ground for early elections
Socialist lawmakers in Moldova scrap settlement on $1bn bank frauds
Montenegro’s new ruling coalition carves up top state jobs
OUTLOOK 2021 Montenegro
Vast tide of floating waste threatens Balkan hydropower plants
North Macedonia's manufacturing confidence indicator down by 8.5 pp y/y in December
OUTLOOK 2021 North Macedonia
Transparency International warns of high corruption risk in CEE defence sectors
Moldova fears flooding from Ukraine's planned Dniester hydropower plants
Romania’s industrial recovery paused in November
OUTLOOK 2021 Serbia
Slovenia’s opposition files no-confidence motion against Jansa cabinet
UK Moneyhub picks Slovenia for post-Brexit European base
Slovenia’s dire COVID-19 situation in 4Q20 caused second economic dip
Slovenia’s Eligma completes €4mn funding round
BEYOND THE BOSPORUS: Let’s tentatively pencil in a date for Turkey’s hot money outflow
Turkish opposition leader lawsuit demands one lira from Erdogan, police probe “bald” interior minister posts
OUTLOOK 2021 Armenia
Armenia’s PM cautions conflict with Azerbaijan “still not settled” after trilateral meeting with Putin
COMMENT: Record high debt levels will slow post-coronavirus recovery, threaten some countries' financial stability, says IIF
Russia, Kazakhstan pushing for oil production increases on the back of coronavirus vaccine-fuelled oil price optimism
OUTLOOK 2021 Georgia
Georgia’s political kingpin Bidzina Ivanishvili quits politics
Modern-day “Robin Hood” inspires Georgians drowning in debt
Iran’s navy conducts missile drill while analyst argues Trump even capable of nuclear strike in final days
TEHRAN BLOG: Who’s more credible? Johnson backing Trump’s Nobel chances or Iran applauding arrest warrant for US president?
STOLYPIN: Scope for limited progress under Biden, so long as the past remains the past
Central Asia vaccination plans underwhelm, but governments look unruffled
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OUTLOOK 2021 Kyrgyzstan
Mongolia's winter dzud set to be one of most extreme on record says Red Cross
Mongolian coal exports to China paralysed as Beijing demands virus testing of truck drivers
Mongolia fears economic damage as country faces up to its first local transmissions of coronavirus
Mongolia in lockdown after suffering first local coronavirus transmissions
OUTLOOK 2021 Tajikistan
China business briefing: Not happy with Kyrgyzstan
OUTLOOK 2021 Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: How the Grinch stole New Year
Turkmenistan: The dammed united
COMMENT: Uzbekistan is being transformed, but where are the democratic reforms?
OUTLOOK 2021 Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s Makro positions itself for growth in a more competitive market
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Russian law enforcement officers have completed the investigation into a criminal case on the withdrawal of over RUB500bn (€5.7bn) from the Russian Federation through a Moldovan bank in 2013-2014, and are preparing to take it to court, said the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in a statement.
Moldova’s former political leader Vlad Plahotniuc (currently in Miami, seeking political asylum), Veaceslav Platon (just released from prison by President Igor Dodon) and Renato Usatii (mayor of the major Moldovan city of Balti and more recently a presidential candidate) were put on the international wanted list after a Russian court ordered their arrest in absentia.
The three and five others were charged with creating, leading and participating in an international criminal community, as well as committing illegal currency transactions.
"All of them [the other five] have been taken into custody as a preventive measure," said official representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Volk, quoted by Interfax.Volk.
According to Volk, during the preliminary investigation it was established that in the period from June 2013 to the end of 2014, the owner of the Moldovan bank Moldindconbank Platon, together with the first vice-chairman and de facto leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova Plahotniuc, as well as Alexander Korkin, who has business ties in the banking sector, developed a mechanism for withdrawing clients' funds from the Russian financial system.
"To implement their plans, they attracted a native of the Moldavian SSR Renato Usatii, who has a significant financial and political resource in Moldova, the actual owners of a number of Russian banks, Alexander Grigoriev and Oleg Kuzmin, who provided their credit institutions as a tool for committing a crime, the heads of the treasury of banks Rinat Yusupov and Venera Sharipov, as well as lawyers Alexei Sobolev and Lev Pakhomov. They, in cooperation with the director of the treasury of Moldindconbank Elena Platon, using fictitious currency control documents, ensured the daily transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars and euros to the bank accounts of a non-resident — Moldindconbank," said the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Moldova’s president-elect Maia Sandu said that Chisinau has no unpaid bill for the natural gas supplied by Russia and it would be “unfair” to pay for the natural gas used by the separatist ... more
Maia Sandu, the pro-EU candidate in the Moldovan presidential election, confirmed that she has the same goal as Renato Usatii, who came third in the first round with 17% of the votes, namely calling ... more
Pro-EU candidate Maia Sandu is likely to defeat incumbent President Igor Dodon in the second round of the November 1 presidential elections, according to a poll conducted for WatchDog.MD ... more
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