Azerbaijan faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. The combined COVID-19 and oil price shocks pushed the economy into recession. A sizeable relief package helped cushion the economic impact from this shock, and the economy has started to recover. Yet the medium-term outlook remains subdued. The...

Russia entered the crisis with low potential growth but strong macroeconomic policy frameworks and significant buffers. Policy space allowed the authorities to mount a sizeable public health and countercyclical response to the crisis, which has helped limit the economic downturn. Nevertheless,...

Financial boom-bust cycles -- Lending booms and lending standards / Giovanni Dell'Ariccia, Robert Marquez -- Are weak banks leading credit boom? : Evidence from emerging Europe / Deniz Igan, Natalia Tamirisa -- Growth dynamics : the myth of economic review / Valerie Cerra, Sweta Chaman Saxena --...

This paper analyzes the linkages between capital account liberalization and other policies influencing financial sector stability. Drawing on country experiences, the paper develops an operational framework for sequencing and coordinating capital account liberalization with other policies aimed...