Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Montenegro’s economy: current situation — analysis of indicators

GDP and economic growth

  • In 2024, Montenegro’s GDP growth was around 3.0%, and a similar rate is expected in 2025 — around 3.0–3.2%.
  • The overall forecast for the six countries of the Western Balkans, including Montenegro, is for economic growth of 3.2% in 2025
  • The World Bank previously gave a slightly more positive scenario — around 3.5% — but then lowered it to 3.2%

GDP

  • According to IMF estimates, the country’s nominal GDP in 2025 is expected to be around $8.56 billion.

Inflation

  • In 2024, the inflation rate was 3.4%, and a further decline to 2.9% is forecast for 2025, with an expectation of 2.3% in 2026.
  • The wiiw organization has also changed its forecast — inflation rose to 4.5% in May 2025, but the average annual estimate has been revised to 3.3%.
  • Thus, inflation in September 2025 could range from 3.0% to 4.5%, approximately 3–3.3%.

Unemployment

  • According to Trading Economics, the unemployment rate fell to 9.13% in June 2025 (from 9.66% in May).
  • According to Eurostat and Wikipedia, this figure was 9.1% in June 2025.
  • WIIW notes that for the first time, the rate fell below 10% — 9.9% (May 2025).
  • Thus, as of September 2025, unemployment fluctuates around 9–9.2%, likely having decreased slightly after the summer.

Additional macro indicators

  • Public debt: projected to grow to a level comparable to 65% of GDP by 2027.
  • Economic Freedom Index: according to the Heritage Foundation, Montenegro scored 63.8 points in 2025 — a moderately free economy, ranking 67th in the world on this indicator.

 

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Uzbekistan and Moldova sign agreement on development of road freight transportation

A meeting of the joint Uzbek-Moldovan Commission on Road Transport was held in Kyzylanav.
The delegations of the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Transport and Road Infrastructure of Moldova discussed the development of international road freight transportation and the creation of additional conditions for national carriers.
Following the meeting, a protocol was signed amending existing agreements. The document stipulates that starting from the beginning of 2026, bilateral and transit cargo transportation between the two countries will be carried out under a non-permitted system.
The agreement will create new opportunities for national carriers, simplify the transportation of goods to Europe and strengthen Uzbekistan’s export chains.

 

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DBK-4 reduced its profit by 26% in 2024, while its revenue grew by 28%

Domobudivny Kombinat No. 4 (DBK-4, Kyiv), part of the Kyivmiskbud holding, reduced its net profit by 26% compared to 2023 to UAH 3.1 million in 2024.

According to the company’s annual report, published in the information disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), its net income increased by 27.7% to UAH 488.5 million.

DBK-4’s retained earnings at the end of 2024 amounted to UAH 134.2 million. The company’s current liabilities increased by 11.8% compared to 2023, to UAH 219.1 million, and long-term liabilities increased by 36.6%, to UAH 29.3 million. The value of assets at the end of 2024 increased by 7.7% and amounted to UAH 477.5 million.

According to the report, in 2024, the company completed the construction of one building with a total area of 28.7 thousand square meters for 432 apartments at 22 Konoplyanska Street in Kyiv (Navigator 2 residential complex). The commissioning of the next facility is planned for 2025, as well as the start of work on the construction sites of two buildings in Brovary.

According to the NSSMC, as of the second quarter of 2024, the shareholders of DBK-4 are Petro Shylyuk (39.89%), PJSC Holding Company Kyivmiskbud (30%), Yulia Kostyanova (6.2%), and Svitlana Lysenko (5.2%).

 

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Foreigners have stepped up their real estate purchases in Greece

According to the Bank of Greece (BoG), foreign investment in Greek real estate rose to €2.75 billion in 2024, coming mainly from EU countries, while maintaining high growth rates.

Quarterly data also confirms high interest, especially in tourist regions and large cities. In the first six months of 2024, real estate purchases accounted for 54.2% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Greek economy — an absolute record.

Top 10 countries investing in Greek real estate (approximate data)

Unfortunately, BoG’s public data does not yet reveal the exact figures for each country, but some trends are clearly visible:

  1. Cyprus — approximately €320 million in real estate investments (+126% compared to the previous year).
  2. Turkey — Greek real estate attracted investors from Turkey for an amount that increased 2.7 times compared to 2022.
  3. 3–10. The rest of the list probably includes Germany, the UK, France, Russia, the US, China, Switzerland, and other countries, given the overall structure of FDI as a whole. For example, the largest investors in shares (FDI) in the Greek economy are: Luxembourg (17.5% of shares), Cyprus (11%), the Netherlands (10%), and Switzerland (6.7%) — which suggests similar positions in the real estate segment.

Ukrainians and Russians are represented, but their share is not among the top three countries investing in real estate. Their contribution is comparable to other investments from Eastern Europe — most likely within the 3-5th echelon, depending on regional preferences.

The main buyers are concentrated in Athens, Attica, Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki, as well as on popular islands such as the Cyclades and Ionian Islands. The apartment segment remains the leader — about 64% of investments, followed by villas and townhouses (~19%).

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Ukreximbank financed 700 MW of renewable energy

The state-owned Ukreximbank (Kyiv) has financed the construction of 700 MW of renewable energy facilities, approximately 300 MW of which are wind farms, according to Andriy Moiseenko, a member of the bank’s board.

“We have financed 700 MW of RES. These are private companies. 300 MW is wind energy. However, some of it is currently occupied,” he said during the Ukrainian Wind Energy Forum 2025 organized by the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association, which is taking place in Lviv.

According to Moiseenko, the demand for energy loans is very high, and the bank’s task is to develop the necessary solutions for providing loans together with state and private banks, as well as international financial institutions, which have also joined in this support.

“Partnerships with international financial organizations allow us to provide more financing,” added the top manager of Ukreximbank.

As reported, Yuriy Shafarenko, deputy head of the main department of the Directorate for Social and Economic Policy of the Office of the President, said at this forum that approximately 200 MW of wind power is expected in Ukraine this year.

 

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Apple officially unveiled iPhone 17 with A19 chip and built-in artificial intelligence

Apple has unveiled the new generation of its flagship smartphone, the iPhone 17.

The key features of the new product are: a screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz — providing a smoother image and a comfortable gaming experience,

a 6-core Apple Silicon A19 processor — a new generation chip focused on high performance and energy efficiency, an anti-glare display coating — allowing for more comfortable use of the device in bright sunlight, and built-in Apple Intelligence artificial intelligence — a system of personalized AI features integrated into the smartphone’s interface and applications.

Apple positions the iPhone 17 as a device that ushers in a new era in mobile technology, emphasizing intelligent features: adaptive recommendations, on-device data processing without sending it to the cloud, and support for generative capabilities.

Analysts note that the integration of Apple Intelligence could become a competitive advantage in the battle with Android smartphones, where AI features are already being actively used by the largest manufacturers.

 

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