So far the fortunes of the Baku Stock Exchange have been muted, but legal and systems changes are afoot.

Samir Sharifov, Minister of Finance, tells Nick Kochan why Azerbaijan is tapping the Euromarkets as well as making great efforts to build up its non-oil sector.

The banking sector is growing hand-in-hand with the economy, accompanied by consolidation and privatisation, and opportunities for new products.

Azerbaijan is having to balance the demands of the poor with those of cautious economists when it comes to managing its soaring oil wealth. Nick Kochan explains.

After six years of bitter legal wrangling over who was to blame for the downfall of the once mighty IPB bank, Nomura Securities and the Czech government may be about to bury the hatchet. Robert Anderson recounts the acrimonious tale.

Construction of theatres, hotels and office blocks are planned or under way in the city centre, as industry is moved in favour of tourism and services.

Foreign corporations are already moving into St Petersburg but the city is trying to make itself even more attractive through investor-friendly tax policies, simpler bureaucracy and better infrastructure. Jules Stewart reports.

Being Europe’s fourth-largest city by population, St Petersburg is highly attractive to foreign banks, which are snapping up local players, and bringing in huge amounts of capital to offer in loans to corporates and consumers. By Jules Stewart.

Yury Molchanov, deputy governor of St Petersburg, explains what the city is doing to attract investors.

Russia’s most European city is attracting more investment, through its trade links, port facilities and range of successful industries, writes Jules Stewart.