Page 6 - bne Magazine Apri20

6 I The Month That Was bne April 2020
Politics
Eastern Europe
Russia's government is to set up
a RUB300bn ($4bn) anti-crisis fund
to deal with the possible effects of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. Reportedly, the fund would compensate missing income to quarantined households, support to the unemployed, and losses/tax breaks of businesses most affected by the virus, including the SMEs.
Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak says the conditions are not right yet for a new production cut deal with OPEC as prices remain at around $32 per barrel. Novak made
the comments after meeting with the leading domestic oil companies on March 12. "We did not discuss this. We do not see conditions for such proposals [on a new agreement]. We do not see conditions forming,” said Novak.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy put a one year deadline on finding
a peace deal with Russia over the Donbas conflict in an interview with the Guardian. At the same time direct talks between the Ukrainian government and Russian backed rebels have begun as Kyiv makes a controversial concession to Moscow.
Rumours were swirling in Kyiv that the government has decided to replace the management of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and install allies of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. If the well- regarded central bank staff are replaced then that would spell the end of chances for a new $5.5bn IMF deal.
Central Europe
Poland closed its borders, suspended international flights and trains, and locked down malls and restaurants countrywide on March 13 as it tries to contain the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus. That is another increase in restrictions aimed at not repeating the scenario currently unfolding in Italy.
www.bne.eu
The Czech Government declared
a state of emergency as of 2 pm on March 12 for the next 30 days, due to
a coronavirus outbreak, announced Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) at a press conference today. The government decided to ban travel by Czech citizens to infected countries and by foreign citizens from infected countries to the Czech Republic.
Southeast Europe
General elections scheduled for April in North Macedonia and Serbia are being postponed as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continues to increase in both countries.
Romania’s parliament voted in the government led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban on March 14, one
day after President Klaus Iohannis designated Orban to lead a new cabinet. The government members were sworn in on the same day at Cotroceni Palace.
Bulgaria’s parliament on March 13 unanimously voted to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus epidemic until April 13 upon the request of the government. Many people fear that the state of emergency could lead to a serious threat to democracy in Bulgaria, and claim it is an unnecessary measure.
A series of three earthquakes have caused injuries and damage to buildings in Croatia. The initial earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale occurred at 6.23am local time
on March 22. Within an hour it was followed by a slightly smaller earthquake, measuring 5.0 at 07.01am, then another at 07.41am, measuring 3.7. Smaller tremors continued during the morning.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic presented a package of measures to help the economy worth more than HRK30bn (€4bn) in the Croatian parliament on March 18.
The European Council has opened accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. The decision came several months after EU leaders failed to agree on starting accession negotiations at a summit last October, due to the French veto, dealing a crushing blow to the two countries.
Eurasia
The UK is reportedly privately pressing the US to ease sanctions on Iran to help it fight the growing coronavirus outbreak that has already officially claimed 1,135 lives in the country and, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), may have claimed five times more.
Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev declared a month-long state of emergency on March 15 after the coronavirus outbreak finally officially reached Kazakhstan. The decree restricts entry to and departure from Kazakhstan for everyone except diplomats and government-invited foreigners.
Gulnara Karimova, the jailed eldest daughter of late Uzbek President Islam Karimov, has been handed a prison sentence of more than 13 years after being convicted in a new extortion and embezzlement case, Uzbekistan’s Supreme Court said in a statement on March 18.