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: Baku, 🇦🇿 📷 Alamy.

From the very outset of Russia’s of Ukraine, commentators said , home to 350,000 people and the site of a depot housing 20,000 tonnes of , could well serve as a theatre for opening “a second front” in ’s onslaught.

Moldovans fear Ukraine war will engulf their country – The Tribune From the very outset of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, commentators said Transnistria, home to 350,000 people and the site of a depot housing 20,000 tonnes of munitions, could well serve as a theatre for opening “a second front” in Russia’s onslaught.

Two struck the Ukrainian capital after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio ended with Ukrainian President Volodymyr focusing on how to save servicemen and civilians still trapped in the besieged and ruined port of .

Russian missiles hit Kyiv during visit by U.N. chief – The Tribune Guterres acknowledged the failure of U.N. institutions, primarily the Security Council, to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the port – earlier this week he said he had secured a commitment from Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to allow the U.N. to oversee an evacuation.

decided not to ship via in May due to reasons caused by an uneasy situation over Russia’s of and Western imposed on Moscow.

Azerbaijan decides not to ship oil via Russia in May, reroutes it to BTC pipeline – The Tribune Last year, SOCAR said it planned to transport 1.209 million tonnes of oil via Russia in 2022.

’s economic activity grew by 9.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year backed by real sector growth. In March alone, activity expanded by 6.7% year-on-year and by 8.4% compared to February this year.

Armenia's economic activity expands by 9.6% yr/yr in January-March – The Tribune Armenia's economy has expanded by 5.7 percent last year, backed by a rise in prices for commodities on world markets, growth in agriculture and robust tax collection.

has revised the International of ’s (ABB) outlook to from while affirming its long-term Issuer Default Rating ( ) at ‘B’.

Fitch revises International Bank of Azerbaijan's outlook to Stable from Positive, affirms at 'B' – The Tribune International Bank of Azerbaijan reported a net profit of 139,592 million manats ($82 million) in 2021, 22 percent down from a year earlier.

, officially known as , is located in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern known for its alpine and . The town was officially renamed Stepantsminda in 2006 after a Georgian Orthodox named Stephan, who constructed a at the location on what would later become the Georgian Military Road.

Kazbegi, Georgia: a hiker’s paradise – The Tribune Kazbegi is an extremely popular destination both among foreign tourists and for Tbilisians due to it being accessible all year round. Kazbegi should be your first taste of the Georgian countryside.

Issyk-Kul region, Karakichi, Lake Sonkel, 🇰🇬 📷 Alamy.

: Poi Kalon Mosque and Minaret at the sunset, Bukhara, 🇺🇿 📷 Alamy.

Western nations stepped up pledges of hardware for in response to calls from the United States to boost Kyiv’s military capabilities to ensure that the could never undertake another similar military adventure.

Western nations discuss help for Ukraine, U.N. chief heads for Kyiv – The Tribune Germany embarks on a dramatic reversal of its previous reluctance to supply weapons, agreeing to dispatch dozens of armoured anti-aircraft vehicles to the ex-Soviet state.

Commercial in increased net by 16.9% year-on-year to 173.9 million manats ($63.4 million) in the first quarter of this year.

Azerbaijan’s banks report annual rise in net profit in January-March backed by economic recovery – The Tribune Lenders reported a rise in total net profit by 16.9 percent year-on-year to 173.9 million manats ($63.4 million) in the first quarter of this year.

: Tbilisi view, 🇬🇪 📷 Alamy.

’s central kept the key rate at 14%, amid accelerating and risks stemming from the Central Asian nation’s close ties with .

Kyrgyzstan's central bank keeps refinancing rate at 14% amid inflation, geopolitical risks – The Tribune Russia is one of Kyrgyzstan's main trade partners and sanctions imposed by the West against Moscow would impact not only Russia, but the economies of its partners.

’s commercial sector reported a rise in net in amount of 413,486 million lari ($137.4 million) in the first quarter of this year compared with 411,807 million lari in the same period of 2021.

Commercial banks in Georgia report rise in net profit in January-March – The Tribune Georgia’s commercial banking sector reported a rise in net profit in amount of 413,486 million lari ($137.4 million) in the first quarter of this year compared with 411,807 million lari in the same period of 2021.

will build 15 large plants (HPP) and upgrade five existing HPPs across the country within the next five years to increase significantly the use of hydropower potential of the populous Central Asian nation.

Uzbekistan plans to build 15 large hydropower plants in 5 years – The Tribune The country has been actively recruiting foreign companies to build wind, solar and hydropower plants on the basis of public-private partnerships and has signed agreements to implement several large power projects.

Holding, a leading holding in , reported a 17.4% in its to 15.5 billion manats ($9.1 billion) in 2021 from 13.2 billion manats a year earlier.

Azerbaijan’s PASHA Holding reports 17% annual rise in assets in 2021 – The Tribune Еру рщдвштпэы total equity declined to 2.25 billion manats as of January 1, 2022 from 2.6 billion manats a year earlier. Revenue rose to 1.7 billion manats from 1.6 billion manats.

’s National raised its key policy rate to 14% from 13.5% to curb amid risks.

Kazakhstan’s central bank raises key rate to 14% to curb inflation amid geopolitical risks – The Tribune The rate on access operations to provide liquidity was raised to 15 percent from 14.5 percent and the rate on access operations to withdraw liquidity - to 13 percent from 12.5 percent.

: A girl in traditional clothes, 🇹🇯 📷 Alamy.

marked Easter without a cease-fire as intensified its on a range of cities and two top U.S. offered more and after talks in Kyiv with President Volodymyr .

Ukraine marks Easter with no cease-fire, Zelensky meets top U.S. officials – The Tribune Ukrainian officials proposed new talks with Russia – specifically on tackling the long-running humanitarian crisis in Mariupol. But Moscow said nothing about the appeal.

’s has by 5.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year compared to 3% growth in the same period last year.

Uzbekistan economy expands by 5.8% in January-March – The Tribune The country's budget envisages 6 percent economic growth this year and annual inflation at around 9 percent.

has cut its production forecast to 86 million tonnes from a previous forecast of 87.5 million tonnes this year due to works on the storm-damaged berths of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium .

Kazakhstan cuts its oil production forecast to 86 mln tonnes in 2022 – The Tribune Kazakhstan has increased oil production by 7.6 percent year-on-year to 22.7 tonnes, while natural gas production rose by 8.2 percent to 15 bcm in the first quarter of this year.

: Man walking towards the Hazrat Sultan Mosque in Nur-Sultan, 🇰🇿 📷 Alamy.

has revised its state for this year and based it on an average price of $90 per barrel, up from a previous estimation of $60.

Kazakhstan revises state budget for 2022, bases it on oil price $90 per barrel – The Tribune The Central Asian country's government has projected its gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 3.9 percent in 2022.

’s central has kept its key rate to 17% to sustain current monetary conditions aimed at stabilising the and situation in the country amid uncertainties in , the main trading partner of the Central Asian nation.

Uzbekistan's central bank keeps key refinancing rate at 17% – The Tribune The central bank said the annual inflation rate was expected to amount to around 12-14 percent by the end of the year, up from a previous projection of 8-9 percent.

The state-owned International of (ABB) reported a net of 139,592 million manats ($82 million) in 2021, 22% down from a year earlier.

International Bank of Azerbaijan reports decline in net profit in 2021 – The Tribune The bank reported a net profit of 139,592 million manats ($82 million) in 2021, 22 percent down from a year earlier.

In 2003 Kocharli opened her first on fountain square in downtown . She christened her first store Ali & Nino after the popular classic novel, about a romance between a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and Christian Georgian girl in Baku during the years 1918–1920.

Nigar Kocharli: promoting Azerbaijani literature against all the odds – The Tribune In 2003 Kocharli opened her first bookstore on fountain square in downtown Baku. She christened her first store Ali & Nino after the popular classic Azerbaijani novel, about a romance between a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and Christian Georgian girl in Baku during the years 1918–1920.

: 🇹🇲 women in traditional costumes 📷 Alamy.

earned $1.866 billion from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) project and $359 million from natural and sales from the Shah Deniz field in the first quarter of this year.

Azerbaijan earns $1.866 bln from ACG and $359 mln from Shah Deniz projects in January-March – The Tribune Development of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) oilfield and the Shah Deniz gas field are the main energy projects in Azerbaijan.

’s state-owned gold company has increased the estimation of recoverable reserves at the gold deposit by 3.5 times – up to 731,900 ounces.

Azerbaijan's state company AzerGold increases estimation of Chovdar gold deposit's reserves – The Tribune AzerGold has increased the estimation of recoverable gold reserves at the Chovdar gold deposit by 3.5 times - up to 731,900 ounces.

: A boy assembling a yurt, 🇰🇬 📷 Alamy.