Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Lithuania plans to raise €1.75bn in the international markets this year, the last year to go "long in size", according to its deputy head of the state treasury, Gediminas Norkunas.

Slovenia is on track to become the first central and eastern European sovereign to tap the bond markets this year after announcing price for a dual tranche euro deal on Tuesday morning.

The Republic of Poland is looking to become the first repeat sovereign issuer of Panda bonds as it seeks to raise Rmb3bn ($435m) this year.

The economic growth of the last five years is great for Romania, but is just the beginning, said Dacian Cioloş, Prime Minister of Romania, at an event in Bucharest organised by the Ministry of Public Finance and GlobalCapital. The country has to translate growth into development, to redress the inequalities between richer and poorer classes and regions. That means building a more productive, high value added economy, with investment in research and innovation; fighting corruption; improving governance at state companies; making the public administration more efficient; and stronger education and training. Above all, Romania must focus on generating prosperity for the younger generation.

Romania is in its best shape, economically, for a decade. With the budget deficit under control and employment growing, the prospects look bright, argued Anca Dragu, Minister of Public Finance, at an event in Bucharest organised by the ministry and GlobalCapital. The government is striving to make the public finances more transparent, with granular details of spending and revenue published online, and is trying to simplify taxation and cut red tape. Risks include Brexit, domestic demand outstripping supply and bottlenecks slowing down the process of reform and investment.

Europe must take the wake-up call of the UK referendum seriously, argued Germany’s Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, at a high level meeting in Bucharest organised by the Romanian Ministry of Public Finance and GlobalCapital.

Romania is the economic growth star of Europe. Tax relief and VAT cuts have stimulated consumption and investment is strong. Wages are rising fast, but Romania remains competitive. With labour costs a fifth of the EU average, it should be — but that statistic shows how big a hill the country has to climb.

Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası (Vakibank) is asking investors exchange its old style tier two bonds for new Basel III compliant notes, making it the second Turkish bank in as many weeks to turn to liability management to boost its capital.

Detsky Mir, the Russian children’s goods retailer, has announced its intention to float on the Moscow Exchange, more than two years after shelving plans to go public when Western sanctions were imposed on some Russian entities after the country's annexation of Crimea in 2014, and Russia suffered a recession.

A giddiness is entering the Russian loan market over the speed at which deals are lining up, with bankers looking for a bold reopening even as the country’s political relations with the US come under the growing glare of public scrutiny. Dan Alderson reports.

Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE), the Slovenian state-owned power generation company, has agreed a €220m loan to refinance debt and extend its maturity profile.

Loan bankers’ enthusiasm to undertake more Russian business this year looks set to translate into deals soon, with Russian Railways in talks about a new money club loan.