As of the beginning of 2026, under the state program Affordable Loans at 5-7-9%, representatives of micro, small, and medium-sized businesses received 30,053 preferential loans from authorized banks for a total amount of UAH 93.9 billion. Of these, 20,873 loans worth UAH 48.8 billion were provided by banks in the public sector of the economy.…
The owner of an undersea telecommunications cable connecting Lithuania and Latvia damaged on January 2 says it expects to complete repairs within the next couple of weeks. A spokesman for Arelion, a telecommunications company owned by Swedish infrastructure investment firm Polhem Infra, said that repair work had already been planned but would depend on weather…
All indices on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange opened strongly in their first session measured in euros, showing gains across the board. At a ceremonial event marking the start of trading, Manyu Moravenov, executive director of the exchange, expressed optimism about the year ahead for Bulgaria’s capital market. Moravenov highlighted that the Bulgarian Stock Exchange was…
The long-awaited Tartu-Riga train made its inaugural run on January 5, before the route would officially launch later this month, and was met with celebrations along the route. Elron’s orange train departed from a festively decked-out Tartu Railway Station at 10:05 a.m. Platform one was decorated with orange and white balloons in the color of…
In 2025, the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine focused on deregulation, which has a measurable effect on businesses: it reduces excess requirements, simplifies procedures, and shifts public oversight to a risk-based model. These are systemic changes, rather than isolated decisions. “Deregulation is not about lowering standards, but changing the approach. We are…
Russian airlines may not see a single MC-21 aircraft in 2026 either, which has been under development since 2009 and, according to initial plans, was supposed to enter serial production 10 years ago. The delivery of the MC-21-310 and the domestically produced Superjet 100 in a fully Russian configuration “is tied to the certification of…
According to the Financial Times, Brent oil futures fell by 0.5% to $60.44 per barrel. US WTI oil fell by 0.6% to $56.97 per barrel. FT notes that Venezuela produces less than 1% of the world’s oil, and its exports are limited by US sanctions and a maritime blockade. However, according to the US Energy…