But Ilze Nagla says the fate of Baltic markets also depends heavily on outside perceptions or, rather, misperceptions. She said one flawed view is that Baltic economies are still closely linked to Russia's basket-case economy. She said the Baltics have to somehow get across to foreign investors watching from afar that this just isn't so, that the stronger links by far are to European Union economies. But many foreign investors figure that since we're former Soviet republics, our economies must be tied in with the economies of former Soviet republics. But the stereotype that we are strongly linked to Russia persists.
Stereotypes always lag behind the changed situation.
Yes, it could, say most analysts. Being part of Norex would, literally, open the Baltic exchanges up to the world, she explained. The already attractive, bargain-basement prices and the additional attention the Norex link will draw should eventually lead to higher values. The president of the Norex alliance, Tyge Rasmussen, stopped short of suggesting that joining would necessarily result in a price rise on the Baltic markets. But he did say coming on board set the preconditions for greater share-market activity on the three exchanges.