According to Serbian Economist, the Central Bank of Montenegro (CBCG) is preparing to implement an instant payment system in accordance with SEPA standards, which is expected to speed up transactions and bring the country’s financial infrastructure in line with pan-European regulations.
This involves the launch of instant payments that will allow transfers in euros to be made within seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The project is being implemented as part of Montenegro’s broader integration into the EU payment area.
The Central Bank notes that the introduction of SEPA Instant is aimed at improving the efficiency of the payment system, reducing transaction costs, and improving conditions for businesses and citizens, especially in cross-border payments.
In the long term, this should simplify financial transactions with the EU, enhance the country’s attractiveness to investors, and accelerate the development of digital financial services.
Montenegro, which uses the euro as its de facto currency, is actively adapting its financial infrastructure to European standards.
https://t.me/relocationrs/2553
According to Fixygen, Kyivmetall-Met JSC will hold a general meeting of shareholders on April 29, 2026, via remote participation. The agenda includes the approval of financial statements, financial results, and current corporate resolutions.
The company operates in the metal trading and rolled metal processing segment. It was founded in the 1990s. According to publicly available data, its ownership structure includes private investors associated with the metallurgical business. Control is concentrated among Ukrainian shareholders.
According to the Relocation.com.ua project, the residential real estate market in Tbilisi showed a noticeable acceleration in early 2026: according to a report by Galt & Taggart, 3,822 apartment transactions were registered in the Georgian capital in February alone, a 15% increase year-over-year. The average sales price in the primary market reached $1,398 per square meter, the average rental rate was $10.1 per square meter, and the rental yield is estimated at 8.6%.
In January-February, the total value of apartments sold in Tbilisi approached $600 million. At the same time, the market is receiving a signal of a potential shortage of new supply: in February, only 10 permits were issued for residential projects in the city, and the floor area of new projects approved for construction decreased by 45% year-over-year.
In the structure of February sales in Tbilisi, the primary market accounted for 1,958 transactions, while the secondary market accounted for 1,864. At the same time, the secondary segment grew faster, which may indicate buyers’ preference for purchasing ready-to-move-in housing rather than waiting for construction to be completed.
More recent publicly available statistics on real estate purchases by foreigners, broken down by nationality, in Georgia’s capital itself are limited. However, in the Batumi market, which Galt & Taggart also tracks, foreigners accounted for 52% of all apartment sales in 2025. Among foreign buyers, Israelis and Europeans each accounted for 13%, Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians each accounted for 11%, and citizens of Turkey and Central Asian countries each accounted for 3%.
https://relocation.com.ua/residential-sales-in-tbilisi-surged-sharply-in-early-2026/
Prices for dairy products in Ukraine rose in March 2026 due to increased logistics costs, higher energy prices, and a surge in exports, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP).
The industry association noted that pasteurized milk with a fat content of up to 2.6% in film packaging rose in price by 0.99 UAH (+2.1%) over the month—to 48.86 UAH/kg, while the price in plastic bottles rose by 0.93 UAH (+1.4%) to 66.86 UAH/kg. The cheapest milk in the category remains the “Adalis” brand (41.99 UAH/kg), while the most expensive are ‘Yagotynske’ (57.77 UAH/kg) and “Galychyna” (72.73 UAH/kg).
Kefir with 2.5% fat content in film packaging costs an average of 58.52 UAH/kg, which is 1.62 UAH less than a month ago. Meanwhile, the price of the product in plastic bottles remained stable at 78.10 UAH/kg. Sour cream with 15% fat content in cups rose in price by 0.72 UAH to 190.59 UAH/kg, while drinking yogurt increased in price by 3.5% and costs an average of 124.35 UAH/kg. Sour milk cheese with 9% fat content rose in price by 1% to 292.31 UAH/kg.
Domestically produced butter (72.5–73%) rose in price by 2% to 585.51 UAH/kg. Analysts noted that imported President butter costs 960 UAH/kg, which is 64% more expensive than Ukrainian products.
“Ukrainian” cheese (50%) rose in price to 608.80 UAH/kg, and “Dutch” cheese (45%) to 610.05 UAH/kg (+3.3%). The most significant increase was recorded for “Maasdam” cheese, which rose in price by 6.6% to 768.37 UAH/kg. Meanwhile, imported equivalents of ‘Maasdam’ and “Gouda” from the Kroon brand cost 31% less than domestic products.
ABM analysts also attribute the rise in costs to the situation in the Persian Gulf, which caused a spike in prices for petroleum products and freight.
“Domestic sales of locally produced dairy products should be boosted by the government’s support for Draft Law No. 6068-d on countering unfair trade practices by retail chains and the implementation of protective measures against the significantly increasing imports of dairy products. We need to combat the gray import of dairy products into Ukraine. Food for humanitarian aid packages and other government purposes should be purchased exclusively from domestic producers,” the ABM emphasized.
Nicotine e-cigarettes are likely carcinogenic to humans and may be linked to lung and oral cancers. This is the conclusion reached by the authors of a qualitative risk assessment published in the journal Carcinogenesis and based on an analysis of studies from 2017 to 2025.
The authors of the review emphasize that there is currently insufficient long-term population data on actual incidence rates, as vaping has emerged relatively recently. Therefore, the researchers relied on a body of other evidence—biomarkers of harm in humans, animal experiments, the chemical composition of aerosols, and mechanisms related to carcinogenesis.
The review states that changes considered to be precancerous markers have already been observed in vape users, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic changes in the tissues of the respiratory tract and oral cavity. Additionally, in experiments on mice, exposure to e-cigarette aerosols was linked to the development of lung tumors.
The researchers specifically note that their conclusion pertains specifically to nicotine vapes and is phrased as “likely to be carcinogenic,” meaning probable carcinogenicity rather than a definitively quantified risk. The authors also write that it is currently impossible to accurately estimate the future burden of cancer cases associated with vaping.
The publication increases pressure on regulators and the market, as it calls into question the notion of vaping as a “safe alternative” to smoking. At the same time, some external experts urge caution in interpreting the findings, noting that vaping does not involve the combustion of tobacco and that longer-term human studies are still needed for definitive assessments.
According to the results of a joint study by Active Group and Experts Club, Ukrainians view Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania most favorably, while China and Hungary receive significantly lower ratings, despite their importance in Ukraine’s foreign trade.
“The modern international economy is not just about foreign trade figures, but also about reputation, trust, political proximity, humanitarian presence, and a sense of partnership at the societal level. It is precisely within this framework that both Ukraine’s trade ties and the work of foreign embassies in Ukraine’s information and public spheres should be evaluated,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
Urakin also cited Ukraine’s overall foreign trade figures for 2025. According to his data, total trade turnover exceeded $125 billion, of which nearly $85 billion was accounted for by imports and about $40 billion by exports, while the trade deficit in goods amounted to approximately $44.5 billion. He noted that this indicates the continued high openness of the Ukrainian economy even amid the war, but at the same time highlights its significant dependence on foreign supplies.
As noted during the presentation, China remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner in terms of trade turnover. At the same time, it is trade with China that creates the largest trade imbalance for Ukraine, as out of $20 billion in total trade, about $19 billion is accounted for by imports, while Ukrainian exports amount to only about $1.8 billion.
“In essence, nearly 39–40% of Ukraine’s entire annual trade deficit is attributable to China. This is a classic example of asymmetric trade: Ukraine sells resources and buys goods with high added value,” Urakin emphasized.
According to him, Ukraine has a different type of relationship with Poland. Poland remains a key neighbor, a logistics hub, an important political ally, and at the same time the largest market for Ukrainian exports. Total trade with Poland exceeds $13 billion, but here too, Ukraine’s trade balance remains negative—at nearly minus $3 billion. At the same time, as noted by participants at the press conference, Poland is not merely a sales market but a bridge connecting Ukrainian producers with the European Union market.
A similar situation is observed in trade with Germany, Turkey, and the United States. According to data presented at the press conference, trade turnover with Germany amounts to about $9 billion, with Turkey—nearly $9 billion, and with the United States—nearly $6 billion, with Ukraine having a negative balance in all three cases. Urakin emphasized that the U.S. market is particularly important, as the significance of the United States for Ukraine is determined not only by trade volumes but also by the role of the United States as a security, financial, technological, and political partner.
At the same time, as noted during the presentation, the most advantageous markets for Ukraine in terms of a positive trade balance are Egypt, Moldova, the Netherlands, Spain, Lebanon, Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates.
“Ukraine achieves the best results where it has a strong position in the agricultural sector and where the Ukrainian export offering is well-suited to the respective market. Future improvements in the trade balance lie in the transition to products with higher added value in those markets where Ukraine already has a presence and is proving itself to be a stable partner,” he said.
The sociological part of the study, presented at the press conference, showed that Ukrainians demonstrate the highest levels of positive attitude toward Germany—77.4%, Lithuania—75%, France—74%, the United Kingdom – 74%, Sweden – 72.5%, Japan – 71.8%, Italy – 70%, and the Czech Republic – 67%. Ratings for Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, and Turkey also remain high. At the same time, 56% of respondents view Poland positively, compared to 14.7% negative ratings, and 55% view Turkey positively, compared to 5.6% negative ratings.
China, however, presents a different picture: 23% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward it, while 42% expressed a negative one. Assessments of Hungary were even more critical: only 18.6% held a positive view, compared to 52% who held a negative one. 44.1% of respondents view the United States positively, while 24.7% view it negatively.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, emphasized that this is the second study in the series, allowing for tracking the dynamics of public perceptions. According to him, this is not only about the emotional perception of other countries but also about a factor increasingly linked to foreign economic relations, security, and the image of a partner country within Ukrainian society.
“The ratings of some countries have deteriorated slightly compared to the previous survey. In the case of the United States, this could have been influenced by changes in American policy following the arrival of the new president and the corresponding media coverage,” Pozniy noted.
The participants in the press conference paid particular attention to cases where a country’s economic importance does not align with how it is perceived emotionally in Ukraine. Responding to questions from the audience, Pozniy cited China as an example—a country that is viewed quite negatively but remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner. Similarly, he noted, there are cases where a country, such as Iraq, has a positive trade balance with Ukraine, yet attitudes toward it remain reserved or negative.
Olga Bezrukova, Ph.D. in Sociology and head of the Kyiv branch of the Sociological Association of Ukraine, emphasized that public opinion during wartime is particularly sensitive to external factors, and therefore such measurements must be considered within a specific temporal context. “Attitudes toward a country should be viewed as attitudes toward the country as a whole, and they are shaped by Ukrainians’ perception of that country as a strategic partner in achieving peace in Ukraine. The second component is attitudes toward its representatives and citizens, which are based either on personal experience or on the experiences of friends, colleagues, and family members,” she explained.
According to Bezrukova, social media, the political context, cultural stereotypes, and everyday perceptions acquired through socialization play an important role in shaping these assessments. This, in particular, may explain the high proportion of neutral responses regarding certain countries about which Ukrainians have insufficient personal experience or information in the public sphere. She also drew attention to the influence of stereotypes on attitudes toward some countries in the Muslim world, even though, from an economic standpoint, some of them are important partners for Ukraine.
Maksym Urakin noted that foreign missions should communicate with Ukrainian society not in abstract diplomatic language, but in the language of tangible benefits—through jobs, investments, humanitarian projects, educational programs, and logistical opportunities. He also called on diplomatic missions to work more actively not only in Kyiv but also in the regions, and to link their countries’ images not only to political support for Ukraine but also to tangible participation in reconstruction, energy, industry, agricultural processing, healthcare, and education.
“If society sees a massive flow of imports coming into the country but does not see a corresponding flow of investment, technology, or localized production, a sense of imbalance arises. And this directly affects the emotional perception of the partner. That is why countries with a large trade surplus with Ukraine should pay particular attention to the reputational aspect of their presence in the Ukrainian market,” added Urakin
In summary, the participants of the press conference emphasized that the study’s findings could be useful for businesses, government institutions, and Ukraine’s international partners alike. In their view, public opinion can influence economic policy, consumer behavior, and even the perception of goods and services from various countries, and thus becomes a crucial element of today’s foreign economic reality. Oleksandr Pozniy noted that the world is not “black and white” for Ukrainians, and the large proportion of neutral assessments regarding a number of countries indicates caution and a desire for balanced judgment rather than indifference.
The survey was conducted in March 2026; sociologists analyzed Ukrainians’ attitudes toward 50 countries that are among Ukraine’s largest trading partners. The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire on an online panel; 800 respondents participated, and the stated margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.
You can view the full presentation of the study by clicking the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, ECONOMICS, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN, БЕЗРУКОВА
