A number of industry analysts believe that Azerbaijan can provide a substantial advancement to key European oil and gas projects. The leaders of the European Union have not recognized the significance of Azerbaijan for laying oil and gas pipelines that would deliver fuel to Europe. 

Automobile sales in Ukraine that have increased substantially since 2002 are now rapidly falling as a consequence of the economic downturn in the country. Current estimates show that the upward trend in sales can resume again in 2011. Before the economic collapse, the Ukrainian car market was the seventh largest in Europe.

Business in Kazakhstan is often focused on the oil and gas sector, which has been responsible for the country’s strong economic expansion over the last eight years. Kazakhstan is developing into one of the most important markets in Eurasia.

The Arkhangel’sk oblast is located in the northern European part of Russia, occupying 227 thousand square miles. The region includes the Novaya Zemlya and the Franz Josef Land archipelagos, as well as the Nenets autonomy, which has the status of an independent subject of the Russian Federation.

Edward Kuznetsov, former Director of the Economic Development and External Communications Department of the Krasnodar krai administration, was appointed as the head of the Department for Winter Olympic Games-2014 Preparation. The new department will bring together the forces responsible for organizing the Olympic Games.

Sakha, a remote Russian region five times the size of Texas, holds strong business opportunities. This northern region is already one of the world’s leading producers of diamonds and potentially one of Russia’s leading producers of gold, oil, and gas.