After a gradual recovery from communist rule and the economic disarray of the late 1990s, Slovakia’s economy is now taking off, presenting plenty of opportunities for foreign banks. Jan Cienski reports from Bratislava.

IIF suggests Asian growth has peaked while an EFMA report assesses the international domination of the CEE region.

The Bank of Georgia’s oversubscribed London IPO epitomised Georgia’s drive towards catching up with the rest of the world. Ben Aris reports from Tbilisi on how chairman Lado Gurgenidze turned the bank around.

In an oversaturated commodities market, Renaissance Capital is branching out into Africa. Ben Aris reports.

The Russian banking sector is more closely resembling those of developed markets, as it focuses on building up profits from fee income. But banks face the thorny issue of how to obtain capital to sustain their remarkable growth. Brian Caplen reports.

A surge of new offerings are coming out of central and eastern Europe, with Russia and Kazakhstan showing the new EU countries how it should be done. Michael Marray reports.

Nicholas Nanopoulos, chief executive of Eurobank EFG, talks to Stephen Timewell about his bank’s strategy and expansion in ‘New Europe’.

With rising demand from the underbanked ‘new’ European states, there are great opportunities for Greek banks intent on expansion.

Competition for market share is tightening in Latvia’s banking sector. Some institutions are seeking organic growth at home, others are looking abroad for expansion opportunities. James Hydzik reports.