The analysis in this paper suggests that import and export volume elasticities are markedly lower in oil-exporting Middle East and Central Asian countries than in non-oil countries in the region. A key implication of this finding is that a real appreciation of the exchange rate in oil-exporting...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look to new opportunities that may be available to the nations comprising Central Asia. The region has recovered only slowly since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Design/methodology/approach – Based on secondary data from reports by the UN, ADB...

The outlook for the Middle East and North Africa region is mixed. Oil-importing countries are witnessing tepid growth, and the moderate recovery expected in 2013 is subject to heightened downside risks. For the Arab countries in transition, ongoing political transitions also weigh on growth....

Trade that straddles borders in Central Asia plays a vital role in the livelihoods of border communities and buttresses prosperity in often poor regions. By strengthening commercial ties, cultural understanding and deepening community relationships, border trade nurtures amicable relations...

Over a decade after national independence, it is apparent that the contrasting development strategies adopted by the five new governments of Central Asia have led to significantly different outcomes. This well-written and timely book analyses how the development strategies of these countries...

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- About the Authors -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Regional Classifications Used in This Report -- Overview -- Main Findings of Critical Connections -- Introduction -- Multidimensional Connectivity Is a Key to Europe and...

Standards are everywhere, yet go mostly unnoticed. They define how products, processes, and people interact, assessing these entities? features and performance and signaling their level of quality and reliability. They can convey important benefits to trade, productivity, and technological...

VOLUME 1: AfricaVOLUME 2: Europe, Central Asia, and Other Regions"This is a superb manuscript, and one that will become a standard reference in the field for students of conflict and civil war." -Robert Bates, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, Harvard University The two volumes of...