Commonwealth of Independent States News & Analysis

Commonwealth of Independent States

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.

Featured June 16, 2025

Russia, Turkmenistan Trade Up 58% In 2025

Turkmenistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Khojamyrat Geldimyradov has stated during the Russian National Day celebrations (June 12) at the Russian embassy in Ashgabat, that Russia is a key trade partner of Turkmenistan with 2024 bilateral trade exceeding US$1.6 billion. He said that bilateral trade grew 58% between January and May this year alone. If maintained, that […]

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Featured June 15, 2025

Russia, Central & Northeast Asia’s New Supply Chain Routes: Updates

While Russia, under increasing sanctions, is looking for new logistical supply chains, strengthening cooperation with North Korea, and planning new international routes, the Central Asian countries continue to seize the moment to build as many transport corridors as possible through their territories, consolidating their place not only in the regional but also in the global […]

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June 10, 2025

Uzbekistan Expected To Join BRICS New Development Bank

The board of governors of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) has given its consent in principle for Uzbekistan to join the bank, according to Uzbekistan’s presidential press service. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and BRICS New Development Bank Governor Dilma Rousseff have discussed developing collaboration and the prospects for Uzbekistan to join the NDB. Uzbekistan’s […]

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June 9, 2025

Minsk Tractor Works To Invest in Expanding Factory In Krasnodar

The Minsk Tractor Works (MTW) of Belarus plans to invest ₽1.6 billion (US$20.3 million) to develop an agricultural machinery assembly production in Krasnodar, according to Veniamin Kondratyev, the Krasnodar Governor. He stated that “Two years ago, the large-unit assembly of two Minsk Tractor Works models began in Starominskaya, with prospects for expanding production. Now, Krasnodar […]

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June 2, 2025

Caspian Logistics Cluster Increases Trade With Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and India.

The 4th Caspian Region Transport and Logistics International Forum has been taking place in Astrakhan, with specific technical discussions over the performances of the region’s ports. Delegates visited the facilities of VTS Group, Astrakhan Port, the shipbuilding operations of YUCSS, and the Kutum freight terminal of Russian Railways. The event was chaired by Mikhail Kabakov, […]

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June 2, 2025

First Shanghai-Minsk TIR Container Truck By Road Departs

A container truck carrying three new Chinese electric vehicles has departed from Shanghai en route to Minsk, Belarus, a distance of just over 11,000km. This marks the first shipment exported from Shanghai under the international TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) road transport system. Following the dispatch of the truck to the Minsk, TIR-based transportation services for […]

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May 25, 2025

Russia, Caspian Multilateral Relations: 2025 Updates

Russia has just hosted the fourth meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission on Caspian Cooperation, which was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Opening the meeting of the Commission, Lavrov made numerous Caspian development statements, of interest to all those involved in the region. We provide his comments and other recent Caspian-related news as follows:  […]

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May 25, 2025

Afghanistan Negotiating With Russia To Use Own Currencies In Bilateral Trade

In encouraging signs that Afghanistan’s trade and investment potential is improving, the Taliban administration is holding advanced negotiations with Russia to allow banks from both countries, both of which are heavily sanctioned in the West, to handle trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars using their own currencies. Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, […]

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May 23, 2025

Azerbaijani Olive Oil Producer Invests In Dagestan  

Azerbaijan’s Isfa plans to invest up to AZN7 million (US$4.1 million) in planting an olive orchard and building an olive oil plant in Dagestan, the Azerbaijan’s Economic Zones Development Agency has reported. Isfa LLC, which has been operating in Azerbaijan since 2015, signed a memorandum on cooperation with Dagestan’s Export Support Center. Under the document, […]

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May 1, 2025

Russia Upgrades Uzbekistan’s National Gas Turbine Infrastructure  

Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC), a division of state corporation Rostec, have drawn up a plan to modernize Uzbekistan’s gas pumping infrastructure by updating more than 20 gas compressor units (GCU), according to UEC Engineering LLC CEO Andrei Vorobyov. Uzbekistan is the third largest natural gas producer in the CIS and the second largest consumer. […]

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