When Russia sneezes, the rest of the former Soviet Union catches a cold. Last week, as the rouble plunged as much as 36 per cent queues appeared at currency exchange points around Russia. Within days, the sense of alarm at Russia’s brewing economic crisis spread to Minsk, Bishkek and Dushanbe . More On this topic IN Europe “Such rouble weakness in Russia puts pressure on all the other currencies in the region,” says Oleg Kouzmin, economist at Renaissance Capital in Moscow. “When Russian is not doing well it’s a drag for growth in the whole region.” Agris Preimanis, chief Central Asia economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Almaty, says concerns are running high about the rouble meltdown. “What keeps policymakers awake at night here is some of the scenarios for what might happen next in Russia,” he says, predicting that the current economic distress in […]