Macroeconomy & Globalization

Milestones | Iran
It may have taken 12 years to reach, but the framework agreement struck between the so-called P5+1 (Russia, China, France, Britain, and the US, plus Germany), the European Union and Iran has enough momentum, say analysts, to yield a full accord by June 30.

Country Report | Morocco
With a diversified economic base and improving fundamentals, Morocco has a sound fiscal strategy and well-thought-out reform program to cut red tape and boost trade. But further reform, says the IMF, is needed.

Table Of Contents

Overview
The drop in oil prices is having varied effects in the Middle East. How countries respond could determine their long-term prospects.      

Banking | Europe
In its first round of QE, the ECB said that the bonds of only seven European financial institutions were eligible—until further revision, which won’t happen until at least April 15.

Milestones | Cyprus
The enormous economic challenges faced by Greece have overshadowed a different kind of drama elsewhere in the Mediterranean.

Central Asia Focus
Western and Asian efforts to boost relations with the five Central Asia countries is good news for companies and banks wanting to penetrate these big, yet largely unexploited, markets.

Dear Reader:
The strength of the US dollar is keeping many executives busy these days both in the corporate and the financial world.

Frontier Markets Report | Lithuania
Dogged by high unemployment, Lithuania is losing young people at an alarming rate.

Newsmakers | Estonia
Estonians handed victory to 35-year-old Taavi Rõivas and his center-right Reform Party in parliamentary elections on March 1.

Country Report | Brazil
Brazil is fighting to restore economic growth and its international standing, as the Petrobras bribery scandal continues to wreak havoc on the economy and investment.

Country Report | Taiwan
The nation’s banks have benefited from a strengthening economy, but now they must look overseas for growth. And there lies more risk.

Introduction
With a broad-ranging project such as Global Finance’s annual Middle East supplement, success means providing clear insights and stripping away layers of confusion and misunderstanding.

Country Report | India
Indian growth and development hold great promise. And policymakers look set to unlock that potential.

Management | Corporate Reporting
For Petróleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, as the giant Brazilian oil company is called, the time to present audited 2014 results, including the write-downs associated with the highly publicized historical corruption scandal, is running out.

Milestones | Greece
On March 3, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a request from Athens to invest directly in Greece.

Milestones | Tibet
Amid a general slowdown in the Chinese economy, Tibet has emerged as the fastest-growing province in the country.

Cover Story
As banks find their margins squeezed on traditional lending and payments activities, nonbank credit and financing—supported by technological innovation—is growing exponentially.
 

At first glance, Central Asia’s banking sector looks like somewhere you just wouldn’t want to go.

It's not often that the UK finds itself in Washington's bad books—this is, after all, a country that supports the US in even its most ill-advised foreign adventures and is often described as America's closest ally.