Latest updates, insights, and analysis.
Ukraine has refused to continue acting as a European gas supply chain transit agent from Russia and is to terminate gas supplies to the EU from Russia from January 1st. Kiev’s contract with Gazprom finishes on December 31. Affected by this decision are the EU member states Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia which have long relied […]
The new Syrian authorities, led by the country’s de facto leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, of the Islamists Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) would like to remain on good terms with Russia, al-Sharaa has said, stating in an interview with local broadcaster Al Arabiya on Sunday (December 29) that his government would not necessarily be seeking the withdrawal […]
The Russian Ministry of Agriculture has stated that Russia has produced a record rice harvest this year, amounting to more than 1.2 million tons. This is 17% higher than for 2023. According to the Ministry, Russia now has 207,000 hectares of rice under production. Almost two-thirds of that is from Krasnodar, where the harvest amounted […]
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 Agroexport Center has said that Russian pasta manufacturers exported nearly U$150 million of pasta in 11M 2024, up 31% year-on-year, with shipments amounting to approximately 115,000 tonnes in physical terms. Russian food producers have turned to manufacturing pasta as imported supplies from Italy, as part of the EU, have dried up due to sanctions. […]
A total of 22 Russian banks have now signed agreements with the Russian Central Bank and are configuring their systems to participate in national Digital Ruble project, which is scheduled for mass-roll out by July 1st. They join Sberbank, T-Bank, Tochka Bank and twelve others that are already in the program for conducting transactions with […]
Russia’s T-Bank (formally Tinkoff Bank) has revealed plans to establish branches in Shanghai and Xi’an. Currently, only Russia’s VTB branch operates in China, while Sberbank and Alfa Bank have announced plans to enter the Chinese market, but their opening has not yet been announced. However, the Chinese market is in demand, especially for providing services […]
The Russian Union of Travel Industry (RUTI) has said that up to 2.5 million foreigners visited Russia for tourist and business purposes in 2024, 95% more than in 2023. The RUTI stated that “The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Russia may reach 1.8 million, in addition to about 0.7 million business trips in 2024. […]
A comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran will be signed during a meeting of both countries’ presidents in Moscow on January 17, 2025, the Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali has stated. The Iranian Embassy in Moscow released a statement saying “Speaking about the readiness of Iran and Russia to sign a Comprehensive […]
Sberbank has launched a QR code payment service for Russian nationals in, or visiting Tajikistan, the bank has stated. The roll-out is financially important as it uses QR technology for payment of goods and services, as opposed to bank operated wireless modems. The full functionality of the service will become widely available in 2025. Making […]
Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation has forecast that the cargo flow along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) reached 37.9 million tonnes in 2024. The data was revealed by Vladimir Panov, Rosatom’s special representative for Arctic development. Rosatom is responsible for the operation of Russia’s nuclear ice-breaker fleet, which supports transiting container vessels. Panov said […]
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 […]
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