Turkey's FIBA Holding puts Russian Bank up for Sale

Russia’s business daily, Kommersant, reported that the bank with the largest holdings of Turkish capital, Credit Europe Bank, is for sale in Russia. According to the representatives of the publication, the sale is being made due to the deterioration of Russian-Turkish relations, as well as the overall economic stagnation in Russia. One of the sources in the banking market reported that the search for potential buyers for Credit Europe Bank started in the middle of January.

Financial giant  …


Poroshenko: MPs shouldn't have absolute parliamentary immunity

On the 9th of February, at a meeting with employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine stated that MPs don't need absolute parliamentary immunity.

“I didn’t wait until the People’s Deputies took the initiative to develop draft constitutional amendments concerning the revocation of parliamentary immunity. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted in favor of it and for sending it to the Constitutional Court. Then, they became very busy and they didn’t have the …


Traffic blocked in Crimea due to transport of Russian military equipment

In the Crimean city of Simferopol, traffic was blocked for 40 minutes on Thursday due to the transport of Russian military equipment. The column of military hardware was being transported from Sevastopol to Belogorsk, reported Krym.Realii.

The column of equipment from Russia's Black Sea Fleet included armored fighting vehicles, KAMAZ cars for personnel transport, Ural vehicles, and field kitchens.

Since the annexation of Crimea, the movement of Russian military equipment on the peninsula has …


IMF Recommends that Ukraine Raise Excise Tax on Alcohol and Tobacco

By increasing the excise tax on cigarettes and beer, Ukraine will add approximately UAH 28.7 billion and UAH 4.5 billion to its budget, respectively in 2016, as stated in a report by the International Monetary Fund. The text of this report was made available to the Ukrainian news agency UKRINFORM.

Based on the IMF estimates, by increasing the excise tax on tobacco by 40% Ukraine would receive an income of UAH 28.7 billion (1.3% of GDP) this year.  Raising the excise tax on beer by 100% would …


US proposes spending nearly $1 Billion to support democracy in former Soviet states in 2017

According to President Obama's budget plan for 2017, $953 million will be allocated to the US State Department to support democratic societies and develop anti-corruption programs in Russia’s neighboring countries.

As reported by the media citing officials, the money is allocated under the article “to deter Russian aggression using public diplomacy and aid programs, and to establish sustainable government in Europe”.

“It refers to anti-corruption programs, establishing energy security …