Latest updates, insights, and analysis.
The BRICS Foreign Ministers have been meeting in New Delhi in arguably a more important event than Trump’s visit to China. We explore how Russia and India are remapping the Global South and are creating new energy supply chains, security alliances and trade corridors in mechanisms that will reshape international trade.
Russian and Indonesian officials have met in Kazan to discuss energy shortages in the Global South, in addition to bilateral trade developments. Indonesia is ASEAN’s largest economy, a full member of BRICS and has a Free Trade Agreement with Russia via the Eurasian Economic Union.
Russian and Malaysian officials have met at the Islamic World Forum being held in Kazan. Russia’s agricultural exports are up 37% in January-April 2026 as the two sides discuss additional trade development.
Russia and Tanzania are negotiating a bilateral investment treaty to help underpin their mutual trade, which grew by 20% in 2025.
A specialist Russian company, the world’s largest Titanium producer, is to supply titanium pipes for Egypt’s El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently being built by Rosatom. The plant will be cooled using seawater – Titanium is non-corrosive under such conditions.
The Presidents of Russia and Turkmenistan have held bilateral discussions concerning the strengthening of the strategic partnership and cooperation in the trade, economic sectors. This is almost certainly have involved the position as concerns Iran, with both Russia and Turkmenistan fellow Caspian states and able to assist Iran develop its northern coastline and logistics away from problems to the south and the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Kazakhstan geologists have discovered what is likely to be the world’s largest deposit of rare earths, in Kazakhstan’s South Irgiz region. According to scientific estimates, rare earth metal resources at the cluster exceed 20 million tonnes. Rare earths are essential ingredients in numerous global hi-tech applications, with the largest deposits thus found being from China, Brazil, India, Australia, Russia and now Kazakhstan.
Russian imports of Azerbaijani fruit increased by 17.8% in 2025, while Russian exports of livestock also increased by 1.6 times in complimentary trade flows. Both Azerbaijan and Russia are memebrs of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Russia’s bilateral trade has increased 2.6 times in 2M 2026, meaning it may exceed US$1 billion for the first time. Both imports from Afghanistan and exports to the country have both shown increases.
The Russian Central Bank has won its law suit against Euroclear in the Moscow Arbitration Court, although it is at present unclear what actions will be taken in Russia and when. Also pending is a €181.5 billion case at the General Court of Justice of the European Union, to which the EU Council must respond with a defence by the end of this month.
The US-based Mars Inc have invested in expanding their confectionary products factory in Russia’s Moscow region. This includes a new production line capable of producing and packaging 280 tonnes of chocolate bars and sweets per day. Mars are unlikely to have taken this step without clearance from Washington.
Serbia, which despite not being in the European Union is affected by the pending EU ban on Russian gas imports, is discussing with Russia’s Gazprom an extension to their LNG supplies. However, gas is not the only Russian energy resource Serbia is interested in.
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