Hit hard during the financial crisis, the Romanian government was the first in the EU to successfully complete an International Monetary Fund loan programme, without even needing to draw the whole loan. Secretary of state for finance Bogdan Dragoi explains his government’s strategy.

Governments in central and eastern Europe can take heart from the fact that every economy in the region is forecast to grow in 2011. But the expanded role for development finance ushered in by the financial crisis is not being rolled back just yet.

The chaos that ensued when the unprecedented economic mess that Ireland had found itself in has calmed, and the country's new government is beginning the unenviable task of repairing its financial system.

Asian Development Bank president Kuroda Haruhiko's calls for sound financial systems to channel Asia's savings into its own development process.

Turkey’s central bank is attempting an unusual combination of tightening monetary policy using reserve requirements, while combating speculative inflows through interest rate cuts. But the outcome remains uncertain.

The US is in trouble. Its infrastructure is in dire need of repair but the heavily indebted country cannot afford to pay for it. All the more surprising then that the overtures of private – and in many cases foreign – capital are being met with resistance.

The Association of South-east Asian Nations has made greater strides in achieving a cultural unity than it has with its capital markets. Only when this issue is tackled will this bloc of 10 countries realise its economic potential. 

Sir David King, former chief scientific advisor to the UK government, believes the UK's policy-makers and financiers fail to support its promising low-carbon sector. The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, which he heads, is working to change that.