Including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and an associate in Turkmenistan, the CIS is a Eurasian trade bloc that achieved about US$125 billion in multilateral trade in 2025, with an average GDP growth rate of approximately 4.7%. Key developments include new trade platforms (CIS Plus), focus on infrastructure like the CKU railway, and expansion of free trade agreements, especially for services, enhancing regional economic integration within Eurasia and beyond. Understand the CIS market for business. Get analysis on trade regulations, economic integration, and cross-border investment opportunities within this key post-Soviet economic zone.
In addition to the recent example of China’s Torklink Controls, who are investing over ₽100 million (US$1 million) into an assembly plant in Moscow, the Chinese automobile exporter Biulu (Chongqing Biulu Automotive Technology) has opened a consignment warehouse in Belarus for processing Chinese, European and other vehicles for subsequent deliveries to Russia and CIS countries. […]
Torklink Controls, a partner of the Chinese company Flowinn, is investing over ₽100 million (US$1 million) into an assembly plant for electric actuators for pipeline valves at the Yesipovo Industrial Park in the Solnechnogorsk region of Moscow. The investment is typical of the type of Foreign Direct Investment Russia is now attracting, as Chinese manufacturers […]
The Kyrgyzstan Foreign Minister, Jeenbek Kulubayev, has been in Moscow holding talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, to discuss bilateral trade. Kulubayev, quoting Kyrgyz statistical data, aid that Kyrgyz-Russian trade grew 16.6% to US$3.2 billion in 2024, stating that “The indicators can be increased further. Our ministries and agencies should start active work in […]
Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia rose 10.1% year-on-year to nearly US$4.8 billion in 2024, Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee (SCC) has stated. This places Russia third among Azerbaijan’s foreign trade partners after Italy and Turkey. The volume of Azerbaijan’s exports to Russia decreased 1.5% year-on-year to US$1.178 billion. Exports to Russia accounted for 4.4% of […]
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, gave an extensive media interview and Q&A session on Tuesday (January 14), at which many questions were asked. The full transcript, including comments about the United States, Ukraine, sanctions and so on, can be read here. In this article, we highlight the comments he made pertinent to our specific […]
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Aqua Holding, the producer of the Narzan, Essentuki No. 4 and Essentuki No. 17 brand mineral waters, increased exports of its products 35% year-on-year in 2024, and shipping more than 750 million litres to 19 countries. While water is not generally considered a particularly interesting commodity, Russia possesses the world’s second largest fresh water reserves […]
Russia’s Pivot To Asia have published their ‘2025 Guide to Central Asia’, which details Russia’s trade, investment and geopolitical relations with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. It also discusses the roles and developments within the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Eurasian Economic Union. It is essential reading for anyone interested in,or […]
Russia’s Pivot To Asia have published a short 2025 Guide to the Caspian Sea, in order to provide an update and overview on the multilateral operations of the North-South Transport Corridor, which links Russia to the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. The Caspian Sea is also a European Gateway to Central Asia. We examine the […]
Russia’s Pivot To Asia has released a new publication, titled “A 2025 Guide to the Caucasus”. It is available for complimentary download from the RPA website and can be accessed here. The Guide gives a unique and complete overview of the Caucasian region and details Russian trade, investment and interests with the following countries and […]
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, convened an informal group meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states in St. Petersburg on December 25th. The CIS includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Turkmenistan an observer state. The CIS differs from the Eurasian Economic Union in that it is not […]
Russia has begun developing a new gas pipeline to China via Kazakhstan that will have a planned annual capacity of 45 billion cubic meters (bcm), according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak. In a model that will be of interest to Mongolia, China will receive 35 bcm of gas per year via the conduit, […]
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