Commercial banks in Ukraine reported a net profit of $393.3 million in the first quarter of 2021, 32 percent less than in the same period last year when net profit was $577.3 million, the country's central bank said.

Uzbekistan will move a step closer to reducing its dependence on fossil fuels by securing financing for one of the first private-sector renewable energy projects in the country, a 100-megawatt solar power plant near the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand.

Azerbaijan produced 594,100 barrels per day (bpd) of oil in April, up from 592,100 bpd in March 2021, and in line with the country’s obligations under the OPEC+ deal, the Energy Ministry said.

Petkim, the Turkey-based Petrochemical complex owned by SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state energy company, reported a net profit of 892 million Turkish liras ($108 million) in the first quarter of 2021 compared to a net loss of 10 million liras in the same period last year, the company said in a report.

Armenia will commission its largest utility-scale solar power plant, aimed at helping the country reduce its reliance on imported fuels, in 2024, Karen Asatryan, head of the Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund, said.

Kazakhstan is planning a further package of measures to support domestic businesses that have been hit hard by restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and plans to allocate around $6 billion to support small and medium-sized companies.