But during that period there was also a great need for information and analysis on e.g. the Baltic States. The Bank of Finland responded to this demand. Over the years the geographical focus of BOFIT has changed, and – for example – analysis of the Baltic States was discontinued after they joined the EU.
On the other hand, BOFIT already recruited its first China economist in the late 1990s. It was clear then that China was becoming a very important player in the global economy, and so also for Finland. Analysis and research on the Russian economy has continued uninterruptedly for more than 25 years at the Bank of Finland.