Russia's Pivot To Asia: Issue 54

The most significant news this week – ignored in the West – is the Russia and Iranian agreement to build eight Nuclear Power Plants in Iran, and Europe’s largest share offering in over 12 months being twice over-subscribed – by Russia’s VTB bank in Moscow. Russia has announced it has begun construction work on what will be the fastest and longest rail network in Europe. Iran is also to import quantities of Russian LNG that used to be sent to the EU with fundamental impacts on their future economic growth. We look at how EU sanctions are failing because they are built on old fintech that Russia has now surpassed; and examine the GDP/debt ratios of Western and Eastern European Union members as they are fundamentally different. We discuss the surprising reasons why. Pakistani agricultural commodities traders are now active on the St. Petersburg exchange, while we highlight Indian meat exports to Russia, Russian sunflower producers investing in Egypt, Russian software developers in Brazil’s financial services sector, a proposed Russia/Bahrain Double Tax Treaty, Russia/Philippines trade potential, the implications of Uzbekistan joining the Eurasian Development Bank and the first Chinese cargo ship to load in Crimea for a decade. With best regards; Russia’s Pivot To Asia