Petersburg Economic Forum attracts world business to Russia
The 12th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, held on June 6 to 8, brings together over 8,000 participants. World business elite, ministers and top state officials will discuss a global deficit of raw materials and foodstuffs, climatic changes, integration of economies, and will try to develop a model for coordinating national interests of producers and consumers.
According to Russian Minister for Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina, “about 120 foreign delegations, including key ministers” have been registered as participants in the forum. “The forum will be very representative,” she said. Ex-Minister for Economic Development German Gref, now Sberbank President, said this year “the qualitative composition of the forum is much higher than last year”.
Although the official unveiling of the forum is on June 7, ro
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und-table discussions, talks and the signing of first agreements will begin already on Friday.
According to organizers of the forum, Nabiullina will discuss with U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez potentials of economic cooperation between the two countries and terms for mutual investments. The head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Andrei Fursenko, president’s adviser Leonid Reiman, business executives and scholars will discuss the financing of innovations and the market of venture investments in Russia.
Like in the previous years, the first day of the forum will focus on international issues, while the second – on prospects for Russia’s economic development. For the first time over the past few years, this major forum in Russia will be held without participation of Vladimir Putin, who visited it three times as president. This time, President Dmitry Medvedev will demonstrate the continuity of Russia’s political and economic course. He will open the first plenary session.
He will also hold on Friday-Saturday bilateral meetings with practically all CIS leaders, who will get together in St. Petersburg for an informal CIS summit.
The “Russian day” of the forum will be held this year under the aegis of “Strategies 2020” and four priorities in the development of Russia’s economy (investments, innovations, infrastructure, institutions of development). First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov will make the main report on the strategy and prospects for the development of the Russian economy.
Two plenary sessions, ten conferences and 13 round-table discussions will be held within the framework of the forum.
The Petersburg Economic Forum will become the first grounds, where the new Cabinet of Ministers will meet with key players of Russian business and foreign investors.
The cultural component will become an inalienable part of the forum. Governor Valentina Matviyenko has pledged reporters that “all cultural institutions of Petersburg are preparing their own programmes for the forum”.
All police units are ready to ensure security at the Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 6-8, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev told reporters earlier.
According to Nurgaliyev, 13,000 policemen and servicemen of the Interior Troops will enforce security at the forum. “I stress highly coordinated efforts and cooperation between the Federal Guard Service, the Federal Security Service and the Emergencies Ministry,” he added.
The 12th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, held on June 6 to 8, brings together over 8,000 participants. World business elite, ministers and top state officials will discuss a global deficit of raw materials and foodstuffs, climatic changes, integration of economies, and will try to develop a model for coordinating national interests of producers and consumers.
