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2026/6/18 Russia ratifies Indonesia - EAEU free trade agreement

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that ratifies a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its member states Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia on one side, and Indonesia.

The agreement, originally signed in St. Petersburg on December 21, 2025, ensures preferential terms for approximately 90% of commodities in all foreign trade.

It lays down the terms for further development and deepening of trade and economic cooperation between the EAEU and Indonesia in areas of mutual interest, including processing industries, agriculture, energy, information and telecommunication technologies, research and development, digital development, technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and customs regulations.

Article 2.2 of the agreement provides for the granting of the most favored regime for the sides’ goods with certain exceptions.

Russia’s bilateral trade with Indonesia rose 21.7% in 2025 to reach US$4.8 billion. Russia exports strategic commodities essential for Indonesian industries, including coal, fertilizers, and steel products, and imports Indonesia’s top-tier agricultural and estate exports, such as palm oil, coffee, coconut products, and cocoa. This growth can be expected to both continue and diversify.

The agreement establishes a preferential trade regime for the vast majority of goods, covering more than 98% of bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia, which significantly reduces trade costs and increases competitiveness. At the same time, the average duty on Russian products exported to Indonesia is reduced by more than half, from 8% to 3.2%. For the vast majority of products, the duty will be zero, including fertilizers, ferrous metals, aluminum, cod, beans, flour confectionery, coffee concentrates, coal, petroleum products, and medicines.

Indonesia is both a member of BRICS and one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia with a population approaching 300 million.

Approximately 90% of goods exchanged between the two parties will become tariff-free.

Indonesian exports of palm oil, textiles, coffee, and other agricultural and manufactured products entering EAEU markets with a 0% duty are a game-changer for exporters targeting consumption growth in Russia and Central Asia. EAEU goods that will receive preferential access to the Indonesian market include polymers, fertilizers, energy products, dump trucks, pipes, metals, and non-ferrous metal products, as well as a wide range of electrical and mechanical equipment.

Economically, this is not just about tariff elimination but about the removal of trade costs, improved logistics integration, and streamlined customs procedures, essential components for a robust regional market. This reflects longstanding economic research showing that trade facilitation and infrastructure integration are critical drivers of export growth and GDP gains for middle-income economies, highlighting the importance of coordinated logistics, customs harmonization, and transport efficiency. Trade cost reductions can significantly elevate competitiveness, stimulate export diversification, and generate investment inflows.

The Indonesia-EAEU trade pact could become a model for countries across South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. By reducing tariffs on key exports and imports, it paves the way for deeper economic integration with Russia and Eurasia. Agricultural and manufactured goods from Indonesia will gain wider market access, boosting regional supply chains. EAEU products, from energy to industrial equipment, will similarly reach Indonesian consumers more easily. This agreement signals a new wave of trade globalization, inspiring other nations to pursue similar partnerships. The EAEU-Indonesia deal could inspire economic centres like India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Gulf, African, and Middle Eastern countries to pursue similar agreements with the EAEU. Such partnerships would expand trade networks, strengthen regional integration, and boost global economic connectivity.

This appears to be precisely what is happening — the EAEU already has free trade agreements with China, Iran, Mongolia, Serbia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam and is negotiating agreements with Egypt, India, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan.

Russia ratifies Indonesia - EAEU free trade agreement
2026/6/9 Russia ratifies UAE free trade agreement

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has signed a bill ratifying an intergovernmental agreement on services trade and investments between Russia and the UAE.

The intergovernmental agreement was signed in Moscow on August 7, 2025, and is aimed towards the mutual liberalization of access to the services market, allowing service providers from Russia and the UAE to conduct business beyond the obligations taken on by the parties under the corresponding World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement.

The implementation of this will improve access to Russian services and service providers on the UAE market across a greater number of sectors than those covered by the WTO agreement. It will also allow for the creation of new value chains for trade infrastructure and make it possible to set up companies in the UAE using 100% Russian capital in certain services sectors. The agreement will bring about an expansion in bilateral goods trade, which is currently conducted in accordance with a free trade agreement (FTA) signed by the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its member states and the UAE, while simplifying access to accompanying services—finance, transportation, logistics, consulting, and more. In 2025, bilateral trade in goods reached a historic high of over $12 billion, making the UAE one of Russia’s top 10 trade partners. Trade in services has risen seven-fold over the past 5 years and now exceeds commodity trade.

The agreement will permit Russian companies to hold 100% shares in the capital of UAE companies in sectors such as legal services, computer services, research and development, technical trials and analysis, technical consulting for computer reservation services, ship and aircraft repairs, passenger and freight rail transport, production-related services and management services.

They will be permitted to hold a 70% share in the capital of UAE companies engaged in complex engineering services, medicine and dentistry; rental services for unmanned vessels or other transport equipment; and passenger and marine transportation. In all of the service sectors for which the UAE has taken on specific obligations, excluding finance, telecoms, and travel agent and tour operator services, Russian companies will be able to open their own branches. Russian investors will also be given the right to found companies with 100% Russian capital in certain free trade areas of the UAE, in sectors such as finance, medicine, and news agency services.

As part of the new agreement, the UAE is taking on obligations for 64 subsectors of the services market not covered by its obligations under the WTO agreement, versus 12 additional subsectors for Russia.

UAE companies will be given the right to hold 100% shares in the capital of Russian companies that provide hospital services, repair and maintenance services for marine vessels, catering services for marine transport, rental services for manned vessels, certain air transport services, higher education, and other educational services. UAE companies will be able to open their own branches in sectors including retail trade, hotels and restaurants, and aircraft repairs and maintenance, as well as provide architectural, recruitment, and cinema services without restriction.

Russia ratifies UAE free trade agreement
2026/6/4 Kamaz introduces driverless truck services across Russian-Kazakh border controls

The Kamaz subsidiary road freight carrier Natcar (JSC National Carrier) has tested and is now commercially using cross-border transport using driverless trucks between Russia and Kazakhstan, the company has said. The trucks crossed the border of the two countries autonomously, with the crossing being part of a test run from Moscow to Astana.

Kamaz General Director Sergei Kogogin announced the trial, saying that “The development of driverless transport is one of the current trends in the automotive industry. Kamaz has been developing driverless vehicles for many years and is the only Russian manufacturer of highly automated vehicles based on its own truck chassis today. The introduction of an experimental legal regime on Russian highways gave us the opportunity to launch highly automated Kamaz vehicles and allows us to test our developments on public roads. We are pleased that autonomous logistics, which during this time has confirmed its feasibility and efficiency, is now going international, and we are ready to provide further assistance in developing the project.”

The partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan in transporting goods by highly automated vehicles is logical due to several factors—a land border, an extensive road network, and improved digital connectivity.

Natcar General Director Samat Sattarov said, “Logistics is a global living organism, and limiting its development to the borders of a single country is simply unpromising. I am confident that international projects and cooperation of this scale can bring driverless freight transportation to a fundamentally new level of service and technology.”

Natcar is one of the main operators of highly automated vehicles (HAVs) and was created by Kamaz based on the KAMAZ-54901. Its fleet includes eighteen 54901s, transporting goods along the country’s major highways: the M-11 Neva, the Central Ring Road (A-113), and the M-12 Vostok. The company will continue to test new destinations for its unmanned vehicles in order to establish a strong presence in the international transport market, including services to China.

Kamaz introduces driverless truck services across Russian-Kazakh border controls
2026/4/14 Pakistan and the Eurasian Economic Union Discuss Free Trade Agreement

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev has held talks on concluding a free trade agreement with Pakistani Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan. The EEC is the governing body for the Eurasian Economic Union.

The EEC stated that “the parties agreed to initiate a process of putting together a joint study group to examine the feasibility of concluding a free trade agreement. The Eurasian Economic Union and its member states attach special significance to developing mutually beneficial relations with South Asian countries. We view Pakistan as a promising partner in the region: trade between our countries is developing dynamically and has significant potential for growth.”

Khan stated that “for Pakistan, deeper cooperation with the EAEU means not only new trade opportunities but also strategic partnerships in areas such as logistics, energy, digital trade, industry, and integration of supply chains.”

Pakistan is strategically located at the crossroads of Central Asia, the Middle East, and South Asia. It is a developing agro-industrial country that is among the countries with the greatest potential for economic growth in the 21st century.

The key industries are agriculture, textiles, chemicals, metallurgy, and engineering, as well as mining. The country is actively developing information technology, although the sector faces several challenges.

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, employing approximately 42% of the workforce. The main crops are wheat, cotton, rice, sugar cane, and mangoes. The textile industry is a key export sector, accounting for about 60% of the country’s exports in 2023. Pakistan ranks fourth in the world in terms of cotton production. The chemical industry includes the production of fertilizers, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. The country also produces steel, aluminum, automobiles, and agricultural machinery. Pakistan has reserves of coal, natural gas, oil (about 300 million barrels), copper ore, chromium ore, marble, table salt, limestone, uranium, phosphates, barite, sulfur, and precious and semi-precious stones.

The country is also focusing on expanding its IT sector, becoming a growing center for software development and outsourcing. The government is working to diversify the economy and promote growth in sectors such as cement, steel, and chemicals. Pakistan’s automotive industry is expanding with increased investment, and its oil and gas sector remains essential for energy and industrial production.

Pakistan is part of several free trade agreements (FTAs) and regional trade groups that improve its access to international markets. These include the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA), which boosts trade with China, especially in textiles, agriculture, and chemicals. The country has been a significant recipient of China’s Belt & Road Initiative investments, which have been designed to improve Pakistan’s antiquated transport and logistics architecture and help the country to industrialize. There has been occasional resistance to these projects. 

Pakistan is also a member of the regional SAARC trade agreement, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Pakistan also enjoys trade preferences under agreements with the European Union and the United States. It is also a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and has expressed interest in BRICS, although India’s founding membership has blocked this route at present.   

With a population of around 255 million, Pakistan’s GDP PPP in 2024 was around $1.46 trillion, with a GDP PPP per capita of $5,531. According to Trading Economics, the long-term forecast for Pakistan’s GDP PPP per capita in 2026 is around $5,810. In January 2026, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a 3.6% growth in Pakistan’s real GDP for the fiscal year ending in June 2026. This forecast was based on the successful completion of IMF audits, which helped mitigate default risks and restore investor confidence.

In terms of Russia, Islamabad has been negotiating several logistics arrangements, including direct rail connectivity via Azerbaijan and Iran and the resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Islamabad. Bilateral trade between Russia and Pakistan has been growing. In 2021, trade turnover was US$696.99 million. This increased to US$705 million in 2022 and to a record US$1 billion in 2023. Pakistan’s bilateral trade with Russia reached an unprecedented $1 billion in 2023, with Pakistan importing crude oil from Russia for the first time that year.

2025 mutual trade turnover reached about US$1.3 billion, with a 13% rise in the first eight months of the year. Agricultural trade dominates, with Russia and Pakistan also engaging in direct barter for products such as oranges (Pakistan) and legumes (Russia).

Pakistan and the Eurasian Economic Union Discuss Free Trade Agreement
2026/4/7 New Multi-Modal Supply Chain Development: Russian Expertise In Saudi Arabia

Until very recently, logistics between Russia and the Middle East has been very much a growth area, and especially Russia’s import-export trade with Saudi Arabia, which has also been expanding its presence in the industrial export segment as well. For example, Russia-Saudi bilateral trade increased by more than 60% in 2024, to exceed US$3.8 billion, and quadrupled again in Q1 2025. Estimates for current levels of trade indicate figures close to US$10 billion for 2025.

Saudi Arabia’s global exports have also risen, increasing from US$183 billion in 2020 to US$309 billion in 2024. The country is an active investor in its industrial sector, and especially in raw material processing and infrastructure development. Besides oil and petroleum products, Saudi Arabia’s share of the global chemical products, materials, and equipment markets has all increased, expanding its opportunities for international trade.

However, this development has reached a literal roadblock – the conflict in Iran. For large volumes of Saudi cargo, sea delivery is most often used. This is the main option for container transport, heavy equipment, and raw materials. Delivery routes include direct delivery or transit through intermediate ports. However, modern logistics is increasingly rarely built according to a single delivery mechanism. Companies combine different types of transport to find a balance between timeframes and cost.

In the case of Russia, cargo is partially delivered by sea but is then reloaded and delivered to Russia by land transport, typically rail and road. Such solutions allow for flexible adaptation to changes and a reduction in risks. Logistics from Saudi Arabia requires precise coordination. It is also important to consider the route, type of cargo, documents, and transit conditions.

The appearance and development of new routes also means an expansion of opportunities for business. Companies receive access to new suppliers and can build procurement more flexibly. In the case of Saudi Arabia, with the Persian Gulf currently problematic and aviation a challenge, Saudi Arabia’s extensive rail system—5,300 km of track—is now coming into its own, including various lines such as the North Train Network, East Train Network, and Haramain High-Speed Railway, serving major cities and industrial areas across the country. A primary example is the new international freight corridor linking Saudi Arabia’s eastern ports with the Al-Haditha border crossing into Jordan. This 1,700 km route allows trains to carry over 400 containers each, significantly reducing transit times and removing thousands of trucks from Saudi highways. Russian shipping companies service Jordan’s Aqaba Port.

Saudi Arabian logistics companies are increasingly coordinating with Russian operators, especially as they have developed expertise in determining new routes and taking advantage of lesser-known transport networks due to their experience of re-routing supply chains away from traditional routes and towards alternatives. While the Persian Gulf remains problematic—and has crucially exposed itself as a weak link—Saudi Arabia’s internal logistics routes have been rearranged with Russian assistance to enable its exports and imports to better utilize its north and northwestern access points.    

This is now being used in Saudi-Russia bilateral trade, with Russian expertise and huge logistics and shipping capabilities enabling Saudi Arabian trade to diversify. Saudi and Russian products are now reaching their respective markets by alternative routes.

It is also likely to become a developing trend. As we noted in our article concerning Russia’s FESCO arranging the delivery of automobiles from Vietnam to Kazakhstan, Russian logistics—which has successfully manipulated the entire country into a 180-degree turn from west to east—has now become the most sophisticated and knowledge-based operator throughout Eurasia. With an expanding presence also into South Asia and Africa, Russia’s influence on Global South infrastructure development and operations is starting to wield considerable influence on countries now affected by international upheavals created by other foreign actors. Russia is assisting—often in conjunction with China’s Belt & Road Initiative—with the creation of logistics sovereignty throughout the Eurasian, Asian, and African regions. This will manifest itself in a boom in rail development, increased connectivity with other strategic, secondary ports, and a new generation of supply chain network understanding being created—with all the infrastructure development in the centre to be designed and built to secure these re-alignments. 

New Multi-Modal Supply Chain Development: Russian Expertise In Saudi Arabia
Portal "Russia’s Pivot to Asia"
2026/3/12 Sri Lanka eyes BRICS

Sri Lanka sees potential BRICS membership as strategically appealing, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has stated. She sees the bloc as a platform to spur its economic growth, saying, “We are a small country. If we want to meet the targets we have set for ourselves in terms of economic growth, then we need to expand our markets. Sri Lanka needs to grow beyond its borders. For that, we need strong collaboration, stability, and cooperation in the region.”

The prime minister said BRICS is part of Sri Lanka’s “strategy of strengthening regional and global partnerships,” adding that “our foreign policy in general is about collaboration, multilateralism, and strong cooperation, globally and especially regionally.”

Nearby India currently holds the BRICS presidency, with the next BRICS annual summit due to be held in September, probably in Delhi. India is Sri Lanka’s largest trade partner. It is possible that Sri Lanka could be granted ‘BRICS partner’ status at that event.

Sri Lanka has also been discussing the purchase of Russian oil, with Amarasuriya saying, “Each country has the freedom and the right to take sovereign decisions regarding its energy policy and requirements. Sri Lanka will also look for the best options available that it can give its people.”

Sri Lanka has recently endured a financial crisis, which peaked in 2022, as acute shortages of fuel, food, and medicine spurred massive protests that ousted the government. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a US$2.9 billion four-year bailout program for the country in 2023. The IMF said in March last year that Sri Lanka had made a remarkable recovery from the crisis.

Currently, Russia-Sri Lanka trade turnover amounts to US$627 million, with Sri Lanka exporting approximately US$177 million worth of goods to Russia and importing about US$550 million. The relationship is expanding beyond traditional goods like tea and wheat into strategic sectors such as energy, airport management, and gemstones, and the two countries have set a bilateral target of US$2.5 billion by 2030. According to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, in 2025 Russia entered the top five countries in terms of tourist flows to the island.

Sri Lanka’s multilateral trade with BRICS is estimated to be worth about US$12-14 billion, with the bulk of this being with China and India. Both are significant investors in Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka eyes BRICS
2026/3/5 Egypt to further develop strategic trade and investment relationship with Russia

Egypt is keen on further strengthening its strategic partnership with Russia in the fuel and energy complex, Egypt’s Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi has said. He has been meeting with Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev during a Russian State Duma delegation visit to Cairo.

The talks involved Duma Energy Committee Chairman Nikolai Shulginov, who announced the Duma members’ working trip to Egypt to discuss a legal framework for bilateral energy cooperation with Egyptian parliamentarians. Tsivilev said that “Russia remains Egypt’s reliable partner in mining projects. Russian companies are interested in long-term operation on the Egyptian market.”

Russia has several on-going projects in Egypt, including the long-awaited Russian Industrial Zone at Port Said which would facilitate the joint Russian-Egypt manufacturing of products for both export to the larger African market as well as potentially, Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Egypt is in the final stages of negotiating a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Six rounds of negotiations have taken place to create a free trade zone, aiming to reduce duties to zero on over 95% of exports. It is expected to be signed later this year.

Russia is also involved in Egypt’s nuclear energy sector, with Russia committed to long-term supplies of reactor fuel and maintenance of Egypt’s nuclear power plant at El Dabaa.

The two sides are also involved in the oil sector with Russia drilling several blocks in the Sinai region. The Russian state-owned company Zarubezhneft has joined two major offshore oil blocks — South East Ras El Ush and East Gebel El Zeit — with resources estimated at over 200 million barrels. In August 2025, it signed a US$14 million deal to drill four wells in the onshore North El-Khatatba block in the Nile Delta.

Lukoil was awarded the South Wadi El-Sahl block in the Eastern Desert last year, committing to invest US$22.5 million to drill six exploratory wells. It also operates in the West Esh El Mallaha (WEEM) concession.

Beyond oil, Russia is involved in major Egyptian gas projects. Rosneft holds a 30% stake in the Zohr gas field, the Mediterranean’s largest, which has received specific sanctions exemptions from the UK to continue operations.

Egypt to further develop strategic trade and investment relationship with Russia
2026/2/24 Zimbabwe steps up efforts to join BRICS

Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to secure BRICS membership as part of a strategy to broaden its international partnerships and strengthen its economic position, according to Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister. He said that Harare has approached BRICS member countries to push for quicker admission into the bloc, stating “Zimbabwe is ready to integrate more deeply into the global community, and joining blocs such as BRICS is very important for us in expanding our economic involvement and integrating Zimbabwe into the global economy.”

Murwira said President Emmerson Mnangagwa has tasked him to lead Zimbabwe’s engagement with BRICS member states. Zimbabwe also applied last year to join the New Development Bank (NDB), the bloc’s financial arm.  The Zimbabwean president also discussed Harare’s intention to become a BRICS member with Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks in St. Petersburg in June 2024.

Last October, the Russian ambassador to Harare, Nikolay Krasilnikov, stated that Moscow “strongly supports Zimbabwe’s keen interest in engaging with BRICS” and is prepared to assist the African country in its pursuit of membership. He added that “decisions in BRICS are made by consensus” but that Russia welcomes Zimbabwe’s integration into the group.

BRICS was established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. In recent years, BRICS expanded its membership. It now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, bringing its total to ten full members.

The group created a partner country category in 2024 to widen participation. Partner countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, allowing them to engage in select BRICS meetings and initiatives.

Zimbabwe’s economy is driven by a range of key industries, with manufacturing, agriculture, and mining playing significant roles. The manufacturing sector is dominated by iron ore, steel, and metal fabrication, which make up 26% of the sector. Other important industries include chemicals and petrochemicals, food processing, and beverages, each accounting for 14% of manufacturing output. Despite challenges, agriculture remains a crucial part of Zimbabwe’s economy, contributing around 15% to GDP. It employs more than half of the country’s workforce. Zimbabwe’s agricultural production is diverse, with crops such as maize (corn), the country’s most significant food crop, thriving particularly in the water-rich northeast. Other key agricultural products include tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, and various fruits and vegetables. Mining is also a vital sector for Zimbabwe, with notable resources such as gold, diamonds, platinum, and coal driving exports and foreign investments.

Zimbabwe is a member of the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), which aspires to enhance trade and economic cooperation as well as ultimate regional economic unification. Zimbabwe is also a member of Eastern and Southern Africa’s 22-nation Preferential Trade Area (PTA), which permits lower import taxes from its members as long as they follow specific origin regulations. South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana are all parties to bilateral trade agreements with Zimbabwe. Additionally, in 2009, Zimbabwe and the European Commission signed the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) bloc’s provisional Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). All exports from ESA nations that have ratified the EPA are eligible for duty-free and quota-free market access. In 2020, Zimbabwe formally became a member of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Zimbabwe has a population of 16.8 million, with a GDP (PPP) of US$44.5 billion, and a GDP (PPP) per capita of US$2,000. 2025 GDP growth reached 6%.

Russia has been providing technical assistance and support for Zimbabwe in the nuclear energy sector, with plans to develop a Zimbabwe NPP.

Russia’s bilateral trade with Zimbabwe is worth about US$80 million, with Russian exports including fertilizers, chemical products, transportation and vegetable products. Zimbabwe’s exports include root vegetables, other vegetable products and fruits. Russia’s involvement in training nuclear power engineers will almost certainly mean that Rosatom will be a preferential bidder when contracts to build a NPP in Zimbabwe are tendered.

Zimbabwe steps up efforts to join BRICS
2026/2/17 Russia’s Delo Group Considering Oman as a grain transit hub for East African markets

Sergei Shishkarev, chairman of the board of directors at Russia’s Delo Group, has announced the concept of establishing a grain hub in Oman. He stated that “We are looking into establishing a grain transshipment hub, possibly for processing, or to conduct trading operations in the Sultanate of Oman, followed by redistribution and delivery of the grain to African countries.”

Shishkarev said that this primarily concerns the east coast of Africa, where many countries consume Russian grain.

The Delo Group intends to establish a presence in grain elevators and warehouses in grain-consuming areas in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and possibly Nigeria and Ethiopia as part of its development strategy to 2035.

The Delo Group operates marine container terminals in the Azov-Black Sea, Baltic, and Far Eastern basins; a network of railway container terminals; and a fleet of containers and flatcars. The group’s transportation and logistics division includes the TransContainer intermodal container operator and the Ruscon multimodal transport operator, and the stevedoring division includes DeloPorts and the Global Ports leading container terminal operator. 

Russia’s Delo Group Considering Oman as a grain transit hub for East African markets
2026/2/10 REAB starts to work in Oman

Last week, REAB Consortium Board Member and Marketing Director Ilya Pashchenko concluded his working visit to Oman. As members of the Russian and Ural Chambers of Commerce and Industry, we traditionally begin our work in each new country with an introduction to the national Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Such a meeting took place in Muscat, Oman's capital.

Our representative held initial talks with Ms. Sharouq Hamed Al-Farsi, Section Head of the Foreign Investment Committee. The meeting presented REAB's activities and the consortium's capabilities to support Omani-Russian business cooperation, and discussed support for Russian entrepreneurs launching or acquiring businesses in Oman with REAB's assistance. Given that Russian businesses have long been established in the UAE and are actively working with Qatar, but are just discovering Oman, the parties identified and discussed the great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries. REAB received approval and support for these initiatives from the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

REAB starts to work in Oman
2025/12/30 REAB congratulates you on the New Year 2026!

Dear colleagues, partners, and friends!

We sincerely wish you a Happy New Year! The past year has been challenging, but we look to the future with optimism. Economic and political turbulence prevents us from resting on our laurels, but on the other hand, it brings not only challenges but also new opportunities. Investment capital is on the rise globally, while good investment assets are becoming increasingly scarce. Under these circumstances, professional brokerage is becoming even more in demand. Therefore, we look forward to a busy year ahead, successfully closed deals, new and useful contacts around the world, continued advancement in the Russian and international markets — and the professional satisfaction that comes from quality work.

We wish you all new achievements, success, happiness, peace, health, and prosperity in 2026!

REAB congratulates you on the New Year 2026!
2025/12/22 US$55 Billion Investment Milestone Marks Deepening Uzbekistan–Russia Economic Integration

In early December’s meeting of the Russia-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in Tashkent has illustrated that the two countries are rapidly deepening their economic partnership and achieving new historic milestones in trade, investment, and industrial cooperation. Significant capital investments are being made.

Co-chaired by Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev and Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Khodjaev announced that the total portfolio of joint investment projects has surpassed US$55 billion. To put that into context, that is about 3.5 times more than the total mutual investments between the United Kingdom and China.

This milestone reflects unprecedented confidence in the long-term strategic trade and investment alignment between the two economies. It marks not only the highest level of bilateral investment cooperation in the modern history of Uzbek-Russian relations but also enshrines the economic partnership as one of the most dynamic in the entire Eurasian region.

According to Khodjaev, Uzbekistan expects to absorb more than US$5 billion in Russian investment by 2026, with US$4 billion already utilized as of late 2025. Manturov, during his working visit to Tashkent, also met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and discussed the accelerated implementation of joint projects in key sectors of the economy. His participation in the Russian-Uzbek Business Forum highlighted Moscow’s commitment to deepening pragmatic, sector-focused cooperation. Manturov’s presence signalled that bilateral investments are moving decisively from declarations toward concrete representations, representing nearly 50% of the entire Central Asian population, while structural reforms are aimed at attracting foreign capital.

In this context, Russia has secured its place as one of the primary partners in Uzbekistan’s modernization agenda. This qualitative expansion of human resources creates significant opportunities for Russian companies to trade with and invest in Uzbekistan, as a more skilled and prosperous population drives demand across consumer markets. Developing human capital will also be essential for advancing agro-industrial, technological, and manufacturing cooperation, ensuring that both countries benefit from a stronger, higher-quality workforce. In this regard, the $55 billion portfolio of investment projects serves as a powerful lifeline for the Uzbek economy, driving modernization, industrial growth, and long-term competitiveness.

Khodjaev emphasized that the investment portfolio provides a “solid foundation for new production capacities, employment growth, and increased tax revenues.” Today, over 3,100 Russian-capitalized enterprises operate in Uzbekistan, including 300 new companies launched in the past year, representing nearly 20% of all foreign-owned enterprises in the country. Russian investment in Uzbekistan has already reached about US$4 billion, underscoring steady confidence in the country’s reform-driven growth trajectory. Tashkent is positioning itself as one of Eurasia’s most attractive destinations for long-term Russian capital. This will yield tangible returns in the form of new production facilities, jobs, and tax revenues. On the Russian side, Denis Manturov stressed that the two countries must “ensure the full implementation of the US$55 billion investment package,” underscoring that industrial cooperation has become the central driver of bilateral growth.

US$55 Billion Investment Milestone Marks Deepening Uzbekistan–Russia Economic Integration
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