Belarus 

Belarus and Poland should step up efforts to prepare joint projects in the transport industry, said Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Anatoly Kalinin.

Belarus urgently needs a loan to meet its obligations. It is counting on aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In September, experts from the IMF made a review of the reforms implemented by Minsk.

With the assistance of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), Belarus has said it plans to improve the effectiveness of the national system of administration of state finances.

Belarus's industrial confidence index increased in March-April, the press service of the Economy Ministry told BelTA after a survey of business executives in Belarus by the Research Institute of Economy at the Economy Ministry in March and April 2016.

After a few years of slow but stable growth Belarus is in recession.

The current improvement in relations between Belarus and the European Union provides the country with an opportunity to secure more funding for infrastructure and other projects from European multinational lenders.

Belarus has announced public sales and tenders for shares in 60 state-owned companies in 2016.

In Poland political parties are bidding which one of them can promise the most on the eve of the elections. Meanwhile, in the Belarusian presidential campaign Alexander Lukashenka is distancing himself from populism.

As public money flows into venture capital funds in Poland, the supply of available financing is larger than the pool of projects fit for investment. One solution to this problem would be to engage start-ups from east of the Polish border.

The history of Belarus applying to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is a story of unfulfilled promises to liberalise and privatise the economy. For many countries aspiration to become the WTO member often served as a motivation and explanation for introducing bold economic reforms. But not for the Belarusian authorities who have preferred to imitate engagement in the accession process.