Uzbekistan has announced the sale of the Fergana Oil Refinery, the second-largest in the country, through an open sale process, UzAssets Investment state company said.

British oil major BP plans to expand gas production in the southeastern part of the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan in May-June 2021 as part of the field's second stage development, BP said.

Uzbekistan plans to list its securities on the Russian stock exchange in a bid to develop its capital market and attract foreign investors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested face-to-face talks in the Vatican with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on ending seven years of conflict in the east of his country, but Russia heaped new scorn on his dogged bid for a meeting and dismissed Ukrainian calls for a new approach to securing peace.