Commercial banks reported a total net profit of 1.470 billion lari ($474 million) from January to August compared to a loss of 316.7 million lari in the same period in 2020.

It’s expected that HC Trading, a member of Heidelberg Cement Group, will deliver coal in two shiploads ­– the first in December 2021, the second in January next year.

IFC loan, denominated in Uzbek soums, will provide the bank with access to long-term financing in local currency, limited in the market due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country reduced oil exports by 9.5 percent year-on-year to 18.771 million tonnes and increased exports of natural gas by 56.4 percent to 13.242 billion cubic metres (bcm) in the period from January to August.

Whether Gazprom will secure the necessary German and EU authorisations to proceed with the pipeline is not yet certain.