News - RUSSIA'S PIVOT TO ASIA

March 16, 2026

Logistics Companies Revisit Eurasian Routes Via Russia As Middle East Supply Chains Contract

The crisis in the Middle East has disrupted maritime logistics between China and Europe, with operators reconsidering Russian and Eurasian overland routes. But these too face difficulties as Russian Railways is close to full capacity and political divisions have closed off EU-Russian borders. While there are options for Russia-Asia supply chains, the Eurasian routes remain problematic for European importers. We discuss what could be done to allieviate the situation.

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March 16, 2026

Russian 2025 Agricultural Export Revenues To The Eurasian Economic Union Up 23%

Russia increased both the volume and revenue from its 2025 exports of agricultural produce to the Eurasian Economic Union countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – by 23% as it looks to diversify its export mix. Sunflower oil, confectionery, flour, pork, sugar, animal feed, rapeseed, wheat, canned vegetables, vegetable and meat extracts, coffee and tea exports all increased.

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March 16, 2026

Russia Resumes Barley Exports To Tunisia As Agricultural Pricing Competition Increases

Russia has recommenced barley exports to Tunisia after recording zero exports of the commodity in 2025. Significantly higher European prices are shifting the supply chain market to Russia’s grain exporters.

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March 15, 2026

Seychelles Tourism Academy Holds Russian Language Classes

The Seychelles Tourism Academy has begun holding Russian language courses in the country to better accommodate the growing numbers of Russian tourists to the islands, who are now the third-largest source of tourism to the Seychelles. Russian tourists have overtaken the Europeans in the amount of money they now spend overseas.

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March 15, 2026

Russian Sovereign Wealth Fund Looks To Finance Projects In Namibia

The Russian Sovereign Wealth Fund is prepared to offer Namibia financing options for development projects in the country, as a delegation led by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev visits Windhoek. Russian businesses are interested in Namibia’s energy, advanced technology, the mining industry, petrochemicals, financial and agricultural sectors.

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March 15, 2026

Russia, Ghana Discuss Preparations For The Third Russia-Africa Summit in Accra

Russian and Ghanaian officials have been meeting in Accra to discuss bilateral trade as well as the coming 3rd Russia-Africa summit, which is scheduled to be held in Ghana later in the year. Ghana is a primary member of the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Ghana-Russia trade has tripled in the past three years.

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March 15, 2026

Russian Defence Minister Visits Togo To Secure West African Port Cooperation

The Russian Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, has been visiting Togo to discuss military and security cooperation. The country provides access to the volatile Sahel region, and also provides a West African Port of strategic interesst to the Russian Navy.

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March 15, 2026

Russia, South Africa Sign Nuclear Power MoU

Russia’s Rosatom has signed an MoU with South Africa’s Nuclear Energy Corporation as regards expanding the generation capacity of its Koeberg NPP and look at developing additional NPP without the country. South Africa has the only NPP in the African continent yet is suffering from blackouts and a lack of electricity,

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March 14, 2026

Russia’s Eurasian Relations Pay Dividends As New Russia-Southeast Asia Aviation Routes Open Up

The Iran conflict has cut off Europe from its normal Southeast Asian aviation routes, yet Russia has been able to call on regional members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, as well as its new Asian diplomatic strategy, to reroute flights to the east and use Eurasian connectivity to access Southeast Asian tourist destinations. This move could ultimately open up new transport hubs in Central Asia to service these markets in problems persist in the Middle East.

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March 14, 2026

Moscow Court Upholds Tattoo Ruling In Favour Of US Domino’s Pizza

A Moscow regional court has ruled in favour of US Domino’s Pizza after a Russian national got tattooed with their logo and won a competition to have free Domino’s Pizza for 100 years. The company pulled out of the Russian market in 2023 and bankrupted their local franchisee. We explain the upholding of international legal protocols by Russia in this unusual case.

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March 13, 2026

South Korea Joining China & India In Northern Sea Route Development

South Korea is poised to join the Trans-Arctic Corridor and work with Rosatom on using the Northern Sea Route for trade with Russia and Europe, according to Rosatom’s CEO. Rosatom provide nuclear-powered icebreaker services across the Russian Arctic.

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March 12, 2026

Japanese Auto Manufacturers Eye Russian Aluminum as Middle East Supply Chain Shortage Hits Other Commodities

As we predicted would happen, shortages created by the Iran conflict are starting to spill over into other industrial areas. A shortage of aluminium is now affected the Japanese auto industry, with carmakers turning to Russia’s Rusal to obtain supplies as their usual Middle East manufacturing supply chains are inoperable.

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