The annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) opens on June 14 and runs for four days. While the members of the EU and NATO have been pressured to stay away, over 100 countries are attending. Discussions are expected to revolve around both the Russian and the global economy. Coming on the heels of the just concluded Arab-China Business Conference, a large portion of the globe seems to be following the “Make Trade, Not War” path.
Today, Aleksandr Beglov, governor of St Petersburg, reported to RIA Novosti that thousands of participants are expected, as countries aim to expand cooperation with Russia. He stated: “Geopolitical changes have certainly taken their toll. But the SPIEF remains a global event.” His brief overview indicated that delegations would feature representation from the CIS, China, India, and Vietnam; that Southeast Asia would be heavily represented, including ministerial-level delegations from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. He added: “The countries of this region are very active. We are currently working on expanding cooperation with them in the IT sector, shipbuilding, medicine, and education.”
