Promotion of green economic growth in post-Soviet countries: Role of foreign direct and portfolio investments

Green economic growth ensures the country’s wealth and population well-being with decreasing ecological damages. This strategy requires effective government policy to push economic agents to environmentally friendly behavior and significant financial resources to invest in technological modernization. The study aims to assess whether promotion of green economic growth in post-Soviet countries depends on direct and portfolio investment. The paper develops the index of green economic growth performance considering traditional economic growth, social, and environmental indicators. To determine the contribution of direct and portfolio investments in the promotion of green economic growth performance, regression equations (for the panel of countries as a whole and each country in particular) are developed. All models are supplemented with traditional economic growth control variables (GDP growth, inflation, gross fixed capital formation, trade). The information base is public data from the World Bank for the sample of 13 post-Soviet countries for 2000–2021. It was revealed that Estonia and Latvia have the highest level of green economic growth performance, while Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have the lowest. The most effective country (Latvia) uses its green economic growth potential only for 62.33%. Modeling results do not confirm the significance of foreign and portfolio investment contributions in promoting green economic growth in most post-Soviet countries (portfolio investments boost green economic growth in Estonia and Moldova, while foreign direct investments contribute to green economic growth in Ukraine). These results might be explained by a lack of institutional capacity and government efficiency to ensure effective absorption of investments

Prospects and threats for developing organic agriculture: The example of Azerbaijan

The article's purpose is to evaluate empirical evidence of the main threats to organic agriculture formation and provide the argumentation of its development prospects in Azerbaijan's current conditions. Questioning of agricultural business owners identified threats and prospects for developing organic agriculture in Azerbaijan. The opportunities and threats for developing organic agriculture are determined and differentiated by groups of entrepreneurs doing business in traditional/organic agriculture. Based on the results of the clustering of the agricultural enterprises depending on the level, the priority of threats, and prospects for development, the strategies for developing organic agriculture in Azerbaijan have been determined:  educational strategy of financial accessibility, innovative growth, and infrastructure development

Atrial Fibrillation Predicts Long-Term Outcome after Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair by MitraClip Implantation

Background: Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and has a negative impact on the clinical outcome of patients with valvular heart disease. We aimed to evaluate the impact of pre-procedural atrial fibrillation on the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with MR undergoing transcatheter mitral valve repair by MitraClip implantation. Methods: We analysed 355 consecutive patients with and without atrial fibrillation with symptomatic, severe MR and inoperability or high surgical risk undergoing MitraClip implantation in a three-year follow-up. Results: In patients with pre-procedural atrial fibrillation undergoing MitraClip implantation, we found advanced age, higher baseline NT-pro-BNP levels, increased left atrial diameter, and higher rate of severe tricuspid regurgitation, compared to patients with sinus rhythm. In the three-year follow-up after MitraClip implantation, mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE) occur significantly more often in patients with atrial fibrillation, compared to patients without atrial fibrillation. Multivariate regression analysis confirmed atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio 2.39, 95%-confidence interval 1.06⁻5.41, p = 0.036) as an independent predictor for three-year-mortality after MitraClip implantation. Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation is an independent predictor for long-term mortality after MitraClip implantation. We demonstrate the association of atrial fibrillation with mortality and MACCE in the long-term follow-up of patients undergoing MitraClip implantation