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.

The wave of flotations that began in 2005 continues and some of the big banks have been joining the fray. Christopher Pala reports from Almaty on the positive effects on political risk.

The sale of 40% of Kazakhstan state oil exploration and production company KazMunaiGas in a two-part offering was a roaring success, despite oil prices falling as the deal was going down. The Credit Suisse team responsible for “driving the execution” talk to Edward Russell-Walling.

Kazakhstan stands on the verge of an oil boom but government conditions are putting oil companies off investing in the country. By Christopher Pala.

European banks took over most of their east European counterparts when the Iron Curtain fell. Yet, despite Kazakhstan’s extraordinary boom, its banks have not been bought up. Christopher Pala reports.

A thriving and highly profitable banking sector still draws criticism for having a short-term outlook. Christopher Pala reports.

Kairat Kelimbetov, minister of economy and budget planning, tells The Banker about the country’s plans for curbing inflation and managing debt.

Despite inflation and diversification worries, the economy is expected to boom for decades to come, but the reform programme is suffering.Christopher Pala reports.

Kazakhstan is one of the leading lights of the ex-Soviet Bloc, with such well-developed banking and pension sectors that they are searching for somewhere to invest their money.Ben Aris reports from Almaty.
The trees that cloak the buildings in central Almaty provide only limited protection from the hot midday sun, but Kazakhs window-shopping in the new Ramstore shopping mall at the top of the city’s slope beneath the Tien Shan mountains are keeping cool.

Kazakhstan’s spectacular financial boom is beginning to attract the attention of European banks, reports Christopher Pala from Almaty.
European banks have long perceived Kazakhstan, the largest after Russia of the former Soviet republics, as “too far, too small, too risky”. Five times the size of France with its economic capital, Almaty, close to the Chinese border and as far from Paris as Paris is from New York, Kazakhstan’s population is only 15 million: a small market spread over a huge area, ruled by an authoritarian president unwilling to make the transition to democracy.