Point of View again represents Dr. Mikhail Delyagin, Russia's leading analyst and Director of the Institute of Globalisation Problems. His article “Euro — a Wonderful but Just a Regional Currency" tackles various issues related to Euro's potential becoming a global rather than European currency. However, the author's verdict is that Euro will remain a very reputable but regional currency.

Password to the Future offers Sergei Turko's recommendations as to how a supplier can attract more customers for its services and products. The answer is in the title of the article “Don't Give the Customer What He Wants, Give Him More”.

“Marketing at an Enterprise: Pluses, Minuses as Seen by Different Market Players” by Vladimir Kevorkov, Olga Porshneva and Dmitry Ryabykh presents the results of a discussion devoted to the functions of a marketing department as seen by managers and experts.

This issue opens a new rubric called Small Towns of Russia. This time it offers four articles devoted to quality management, energy supply of small towns, resource appraisal and management and information systems. The authors who are consultants or managers themselves give their view on the subject. The new rubric marks the beginning of the second phase of George Soros's programme devoted to the Russian regions, having the same name.

We continue our co-operation with Business Monitor Inter-national which started in the previous issue, by publishing Polish economy overview prepared by BMI experts.

Around the World also offers Eduard Grebenshchikov's “Singapore: Intellect Island's Perpetual Motion”. The article gives the author’s review of a new book by Mark Hong, the former Singapore ambassador to Russia and Ukraine. The author underlines the importance of using Singapore’s experience of economic management, market regulation, designing industrial policy and economic strategy in general, in facilitating economic growth.

The article “African Producers and Exporters of Cocoa, Coffee, and Tea” by Vladimir Lopatov would certainly be of interest not only to importers and exporters of these products but for everyone who enjoys having a cup at breakfast…

Rostislav Spivak’s “Technology Transfer and Multinationals: Experience of Asian-Pacific Countries” deals with r&d facilities created by multinationals in various countries and problems resulting from this.

Business under Micro-scope opens up with Tatiana Gorchakova's article “Even if you are not Japanese…” which throws more light on the Japanese management techniques and their possible application for non-Japanese companies.

Natalia Melnikova's and Dmitry Magazanik's “Review of CIS Technical Carbon Market” may be interesting both for manufacturers and consumers. Some of them will be surprised to know that most automotive tires are made of technical carbon, which they know under the name of “soot”.

As usual, Reviews and Announcements presents new books for business readers. This time you will know about one particular best-seller called R-System, devoted to professional business intelligence and its possible applications in the Russian business environment.