Latest Articles about Economics
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Corruption Spoils Every Attempt to Cooperate With Russia
Following the long-expected July 7 meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, the main tangible result was the ceasefire in the southwestern corner of Syria. But this “deliverable” is of little, if any,... MORE
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Uzbekistan Alters Its Vision for Afghanistan
After the change of leadership in Uzbekistan, it has been widely acknowledged that the country’s new president, Shavkat Mirziyaev, is pursuing a more proactive and constructive regional diplomacy in Central Asia than his predecessor (see EDM, October 26, 2016; December 15, 2016). Along with Mirziyaev’s... MORE
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Armenian Government Must Choose Between Energy Diversification and Loyalty to Russia
In mid-June, the CEO of Russia’s gas monopolist Gazprom, Alexei Miller, paid a spontaneous visit to Yerevan, where he met with Armenia’s Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. Official information about the meeting is rather scarce. Besides mutually exchanged compliments, reports mention plans for the exploitation of... MORE
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Georgian-Chinese FTA: A Trade Agreement With Caveats
When the Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Zhong Shan and Georgia’s Minister of Economy Giorgi Gakharia signed a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Shanghai, on May 13, it all looked good on paper. Following a seven-month-long process of final-stage... MORE
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Strategic Partnership Agreement: A New Chapter in EU-Azerbaijan Relations
On June 13–14, the European Union and Azerbaijan held another round of talks on the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). Those ongoing discussions were first inaugurated on February 6, with the official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Brussels. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)... MORE
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Naftohaz Ukrainy Hopes for Final Victory Over Gazprom in International Court
The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce has preliminarily ruled in favor of the Ukrainian state-owned oil and gas firm Naftohaz Ukrainy over Russian Gazprom’s claims regarding its natural gas supply. The same court is yet to rule on another contract between Naftohaz... MORE
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Russia Aims to Return to Baikonur Cosmodrome Amid Vostochny Problems
The Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) made a surprise announcement on June 2. The head of the agency, Igor Komarov, told the media that the first launch of a brand new manned spacecraft called Federation was planned from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in central Kazakhstan in 2022.... MORE
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Airline Pilot Shortage Illustrates Broader Systemic Problems in Russia’s Labor Market
Several weeks ago, during the annual St. Petersburg Economic Forum (June 1–3), Vitaly Savelyev, the director general of Russia’s flag carrier, Aeroflot, confirmed a fact that was already well known to industry insiders: experienced airline pilots are becoming a rare asset in Russia, since too... MORE
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Putin Addresses Country Days After Mass Arrests of Nonviolent Protesters in Moscow and St. Petersburg
President Vladimir Putin (64) has not yet officially announced whether he will run for a fourth term as head of state on March 18, 2018. During the traditional annual nationwide live multi-hour televised phone-in, held this year on June 15, Putin did not announce his... MORE
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Italy and Russia: Between Economic Cooperation and Mediterranean Problems
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Sochi, on May 17, a few days before the G7 summit, which was organized by Italy and held in Taormina, Sicily. The Trump-Gentiloni meeting focused on a number of pressing issues, from economic... MORE