Russia has taken one of the top positions in a table which ranks 18 countries according to their economic prospects.
Germany's Allianz Insurance and Dresdner Bank has ranked Russia number six – ahead of the UK, Germany, China, and the U.S. with Sweden, Austria and Brazil taking the first three positions. However analysts argue Russia presents “an extremely mixed picture.” Although the country came top in the sustainability of public finances and current account balance categories, it was placed last in two environmental indicators.