BRI - View from Central and East Europe

China’s Belt and Road initiative has the potential to help nations across Central and Eastern Europe meet their diverse and growing infrastructure needs. Nearly every country in the region has signed a Belt and Road agreement with China, and most are on the trade routes that China plans to enhance. But after initial optimism the region has lagged behind others in developing Belt and Road projects, with various political, economic and operational issues slowing progress.

The latest in a series of Belt and Road reports from CMS examines the sentiment in the region towards BRI, the challenges that exist, and the steps Belt and Road participants can take to achieve success.

Topics covered in the report include:

• Belt and Road 2.0 – a more sustainable approach to development
• The sectors attracting most interest among Belt and Road participants
• The effects of Covid-19 on Belt and Road
• Mitigating Belt and Road risk and managing disputes

As well as looking at Belt and Road across CEE, we examine at its impact to date in Ukraine and Russia, and their potential for future investment.