Since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, its former states have moved at varying speed to economies driven by regional and international markets. Because of its size and vast reserves of the world’s most sought-after natural resources, it is no surprise that the Russian economy dominates this part of the world. However, it is not alone in this and both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan produce and export significant quantities of oil, destined for the European and Chinese markets.

From the wealth generated by the sale of both Oil & Gas, these three economies have now become the most important within the Eurasian and Caspian region, and consequently are those that we are most active in. Turkmenistan is also gradually opening up to the world, and with its huge reserves of Natural Gas, is set to become an important regional influence in the coming years, providing major gas supplies north into Russia, east to China, south through the TAPI pipeline, connecting as far as the Arabian gulf, and west via Azerbaijan and into Europe.