Albania

Fourth mobile phone operator to be launched in June (Balkans.com): A fourth mobile phone operator in Albania is expected to be launched in June,the local media Shqip reported. “The launch of the fourth operator will increase competition andtherefore will affect the reduction of tariffs,” Chairman of ElectronicCommunications Authority, Piro Xhixho said in an interview for Shqip.

Bankers Petroleum gets lift from Albania (Calgary Herald): Investors are bidding Calgarybased Bankers Petroleum Ltd. shares ever higher after the company posted a dramatic one-third boost this month in its proven heavy oil reserves in Albania.

Algeria

Gazprom starts work in Algeria (Upi.com): Russian energy giant Gazprom announced it commenced drilling its first prospecting well in the Berkine basin in Algeria. The block is about 300 miles south of Algiers, the capital of Algeria, near gas production centers in the town of Hassi Messaoud.

Algeria Oil Min: Niger Coup Complicates Trans-Sahara Pipe Project (Wall Street Journal): A military coup in Niger is creating uncertainty on plans to build a trans-Saharan natural gas pipeline, Algeria's energy minister said Tuesday. Speaking to reporters here ahead of a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Chakib Khelil, the minister for Energy and Mines said that because of the situation in Niger, "It's not at the same stage as it was before" for the pipeline. Last year, Niger signed an agreement with Nigeria and Algeria to build the $10 billion Trans-Sahara natural-gas pipeline, Africa's most costly pipeline and a cornerstone of Europe's strategy to diversify its energy supply.

Bangladesh

Despite slow growth, country’s macroeconomic outcome positive (Financial Express):Bangladesh's overall macroeconomic outcome in terms of real output growth and inflation remained positive, despite showing a slow growth in its external trade and investment activities following the global recession, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) said.

Energy shortage driving slowdown in Bangladesh (Steel Guru): The Financial Express reported that energy shortages are causing slowed down economic activities in Bangladesh. But the country's potential reserves of high energy some 2.5 billion tonnes of coal deposits of high grade are being kept buried underground from fruitless bickering over the manner of their extraction and pondering about alternatives.

PM seeks assistance from dev partners, donor agencies for economic uplift (The Financial Express): Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina Tuesday sought assistance from Bangladesh's development partners and donor agencies, particularly from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for economic development of the country, reports UNB.

Boosting up ties with China (The New Nation): The Prime Minster of Bangladesh is going to start her five-day state visit to People's Republic beginning from March 17, 2010. This will be her first visit to China since AL led grand alliance assumed the power. Though she had already drawn attention of the global community in various international forums and paid a significant visit to India, she has taken the decision to visit China at the end of her fourteen month office.

Professional skills must to ataining successes in baking sector (The New Nation):  Gaining professional skills is indispensable to atain professional success in the banking sector along with socio-economic development of the nation.

Macro-economic performance and puzzles (The Daily Star):  In an international Conference organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in connection with its Golden Jubilee Celebration few years back, my favourite teacher and world-famous economist Dr Azizur Rahman Khan (best known as AR Khan) revealed a few pertinent puzzles that he observed in our macroeconomic calculus.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina invites RI investors (The Jakarta Post): Bosnia and Herzegovina seeks to attract Indonesia’s investors to invest in the country’s infrastructure, energy, agriculture and tourism in an effort to boost economic growth in the southeastern European state, says the envoy.

DRC

Total: Interested In Joining Tullow Oil's Congo Blocks (Wall Street Journal): Total SA (TOT) said Tuesday it is interested in joining Tullow Oil PLC's (TLW.LN) oil blocks in Congo, as the African nation becomes increasingly attractive for large international oil companies.

Guinea

Rio Tinto and Chinalco in Talks Over Guinea Mine (Wall Street Jouranl): Rio Tinto and Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. are in advanced talks to jointly develop the Simandou iron-ore project in the West African nation of Guinea, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Macedonia

Bulgaria's Central Cooperative Bank Secures Third Macedonian Buy (novinite.com): Bulgaria's Central Cooperative bank, part of the country's largest holding company Chimimport, has been given the green light to acquire a third bank in Macedonia by the country's financial supervision authorities.

Nepal

Godrej Sara Lee to set up insecticides plant in Nepal (Sify News): Godrej Sara Lee (GSLL), a joint venture between India's Godrej Group and the US' Sara Lee Corporation, is setting up a plant in Nepal to meet the growing demand for insecticides in the Himalayan republic.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka to double incomes (Strait Times): Fresh from the end of 30 years of civil war, Sri Lanka aspires to be a regional hub for aviation and shipping and plans to double per capita incomes in the next five years.

Syria

Syria, Germany Sign Letters on Technical Cooperation (SANA): The Syrian and German governments signed on Wednesday letters on technical cooperation at the State Planning Commission, according to which the German government will present a grant of Euro 12 million to participate in carrying out vital development projects.

Syrian Investment Authority Sign a Memo with Gulf Finance House (SANA): Syrian Investment Authority (SIA) signed, on behalf of the under construction Syrian Finance House (SFH), a memorandum of understanding with Gulf Finance House (GFH), as to develop an economic region and projects related to energy and phosphate exploration in Syria.

Tanzania

Pinda to Officiate at Kilimo Kwanza Workshop (AllAfrica.com): Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda will on Thursday officiate at the 15th Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) workshop whose theme is 'Kilimo Kwanza' in Dar es Salaam.

Zambia

Depositors Act coming- BoZ (Daily Mail): The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) is in the process of introducing a Deposit Protection Act and scheme to cushion depositors in case of bank failures.

Consider Zambia for higher funding (Zambia Daily Time): Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane has appealed to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to consider Zambia for a higher compact funding like it did to other countries in Africa and elsewhere which benefited from the scheme.

EDITED BY INTL. INTERNSHIP TEAM (ICPE INCUBATOR)

Ana Milić

Andreja Mamilovič

Rok Kogej

Špela Berlec

Algeria

Turkish Minister in Algeria (Turkish Weekly): Turkey's state minister for foreign trade attended the 9th meeting of Turkey-Algeria Joint Economic Commission in Algiers. The parties reviewed the current commercial and economic relations between the two countries. They also exchanged views on ways to further develop cooperation in the areas of energy, mining, agriculture, industry, transportation, standardization, health and construction.

Albania

Albania to auction 3bn leke of 2YR T-notes March 18 at 8.90% (Balkans.com): The government is to auction 3 billion leke (21.5 million euros, USD29.3 million) of two-year treasury notes on March 18 at a fixed coupon of 8.90%.

Albania FM in Two Day Belgrade Visit (Balkan Insight): Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilir Meta launched on Thursday a two-day official visit to Serbia, where is expected to hold talks with Serbian President Boris Tadic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic.

Bangladesh

Qatar to help in Bangladesh’s dev sector (The New Nation):  Qatar will intensify its cooperation in the development sectors of Bangladesh, including river dredging, construction of road infrastructures, community health clinic and power stations.

The underperforming economy (Financial Express): The first half of the current fiscal year, that is a period of six months ending on December 31, 2009, has witnessed a downward economic trend in Bangladesh, as was observed by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) in their latest Quarterly Economic Update (QEA).

Utilising the coal resources (Financial Express):  Energy shortages are causing slowed-down economic activities in Bangladesh. But the country's potential reservesof high energy--some 2.5 billion tons of coal deposits of high grade -- are being kept buried underground from fruitless bickering over the manner of their extraction and pondering about alternatives.

DRC

Congo customs snag will not affect debt review (Reuters Africa): The  suspension of a contract with a U.S. firm advising Democratic Republic of Congo on how to maximise its customs revenues will not affect the country's access to credit, the IMF said on Thursday.

Guyana

El Nino affecting sugar production (GINA): The extended El Nino period has been having severe effects on cane cultivation across the sugar industry, particularly on the East Demerara estates, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) said.

India

Russia's Putin pledges to develop India banking ties (Hindustan Times): Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday pledged to develop banking ties with India to boost co-operation between the two countries.

Switzerland ready to provide assistance to India on tax havens (Hindustan Times): Switzerland has changed its attitude on tax havens and is ready to give assistance to India on the issue of black money stashed in its banks, a former lawmaker has said.

Industry grows by 16.7% in January (Times of India): Industrial production grew by a robust 16.7 per cent in January compared to just one per cent in the same month a year ago, led by a good show from the manufacturing sector.

NMDC share sale fully covered: Sources (Economic Times): A share sale in top iron ore miner NMDC was fully covered by late afternoon on Friday, two sources with direct knowledge of the

deal said.

Air India, Indian Airlines merger flawed: Parliament committee (Economic Times): A parliamentary committee Friday called the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines a "marriage of incompatible individuals" and said two aviation companies should work separately, though under a common holding company.

Ranbaxy says to achieve $3bn turnover by 2012 (Hindustan Times): Drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd said on Friday it was planning to achieve $3 billion in consolidated turnover by 2012 as part of its medium-term business plan.

German province woos India Inc (Hindustan Times): The most densely populated state of Germany, North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), is aggressively wooing Indian companies to invest there.

Iraq

Petrofac Targets Iraq Oil After Asfari Quadruples Share Value (Bloomberg):  Ayman Asfari, the chief executive officer whose oil and gas engineering skills guided a fourfold increase in the value of Petrofac Plc within five years, is now preparing to tap Iraq’s energy boom.

Allawi Voices Vote Suspicion as Iraq Results Emerge (Bloomberg): Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi complained about possible vote-tampering as early results from Iraq’s election showed blocs led by Allawi and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki leading in their areas of core support.

Exxon's growing reliance on expensive oil (CNN Money): Exxon Mobil outlined plans Thursday that rely heavily on oil from tough to reach places, extracting it from the depths of the ocean, the frozen Arctic and the tar sands in Canada's frozen tundra.

Iraq awards China major oil deal near Iran border (World Tribune): Iraq has concluded an agreement for the development of a major crude oil field near the Iranian border.

Macedonia

Gantar Wraps up Macedonia Visit, Happy with Relations (STA): National Assembly Speaker Pavel Gantar wrapped up his official visit to Macedonia on Thursday after meeting Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and President Gjorge Ivanov. He said he was happy with the relations between the two countries which he labelled as excellent.

Syria

Syria, Russia to Develop Bilateral Relations (SANA): During a meeting between Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa and Head of the Organizational Committee of Syrian-Russian Friendship Association Alexander Dzasokhov, both sides discussed the latest developments in the region and the current international challenges.


Syria and Belgium Discuss financial and banking Cooperation (SANA): Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs Abdullah al-Dardari on Wednesday discussed with Governor of National Bank of Belgium Guy Quaden financial and banking cooperation.

Prepared by:

Ana Milić

Andreja Mamilovič

Laura Čepin

Rok Kogej

Špela Berlec