News

Latest updates, insights, and analysis.

January 21, 2025

Saudi Arabia Still Thinking Over BRICS Membership 

Saudi Arabia’s Economy and Planning Minister, Faisal bin Fadhil Al-Ibrahim, has said that Riyadh has not made the final decision to join BRICS and is still assessing its possible membership in the group, saying “The kingdom is always focusing on fostering more global dialogue.” He made the comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, […]

January 21, 2025

Russia’s Fast Payment System Via Phone Set To Expand Into The Global South 

Russia’ Fast Payment System (SBP), in which banks will accept money transfers by phone number is rapidly developing and has now expanded to include nine countries: Abkhazia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The number of foreign banks accepting money through the SBP by phone number is also growing, with 50 now […]

January 21, 2025

EAEU Members Complete Procedures For An Iran Free Trade Agreement

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states have completed the procedures needed for the entry into effect of the free trade agreement with Iran, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has stated to Andrei Slepnev, the EEC’s Trade Minister. Slepnev himself stated that “Currently, the procedures necessary for the entry into force of the free trade […]

January 21, 2025

Russian Meat Exports Increased 27% In 2024   

The Russian Agriculture Ministry has stated that Russia exported over 700,000 tonnes of meat and by-products in 2024, 27% more than in 2023. Russia exported 34% more pork products, 25% more poultry products and 22% more beef products, and has additionally achieved more than 100% self-sufficiency for meat and meat products, which not only guarantees […]

January 20, 2025

Russia, UAE Finalise Double Tax Agreement To Commence 1st January 2026

Russia and the United Arab Emirates have concluded the final round of negotiations on and initialled the draft of a new Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) on income and capital and to help prevent tax evasion. DTA provisions typically protect tax payers from being taxed twice for the same income, such as a Russian national working […]

January 20, 2025

China 2024 Oil & LNG Imports From Russia Up 1.3% and 3.3%

The latest data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China states that over 2024, for the full year, China increased the volume of imported Russian oil by 1.3%. The volume reached 108.47 million tonnes, while the cost of purchasing the oil also increased by 2.8% to reach US$62.42 billion. Also […]

January 20, 2025

Syria Bans Russian Imports 

Syria’s Transitional Administration has announced a new decree banning the importation of goods from Russia as well as Iran and Israel. This decision comes after the Syrian government had also imposed restrictions on the entry of citizens from Iran and Israel. This ban will be enforced at all land and sea border points in the […]

January 20, 2025

Mongolia Runs Into Budgetary Problems With Russian Road & Rail Connectivity

Mongolia’s 2025 budget has run out of money to repair access roads to its largest border crossing with Russia. Eight road projects, including the repair of the highway from the largest automobile border crossing at Altanbulag on the border with Russia, were excluded from Mongolia’s budget for 2025. Altanbulag is the largest automobile checkpoint on […]

January 19, 2025

Russia’s VTB Bank To Open Full Banking Services In Iran

Russia’s VTB bank plans to open a full-fledged subsidiary bank in Iran by the end of 2025, the bank’s President and Board Chairman Andrei Kostin has stated. VTB opened a representative office in Iran in 2023. Kostin said that “We plan to open a full-service bank by the end of this year. VTB will be […]

January 19, 2025

Russian Outbound Tourism To Japan Up 136%

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has released 2024 tourism data, showing that almost 100,000 Russian tourists visited Japan last year, 2.3 times the figure for 2023. The JNTO stated that “99,300 people travelled from Russia to Japan in 2024, 136.6% more than the year before. In 2023 tourist flows from Russia stood at 41,960. […]

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