- SPIEF24: Participants from 130+ Countries Attending St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russian
- Russia is open to constructive dialogue for Peace, Development: Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Russian Economy Grows Growth amid Western Sanctions: Finance Minister Anton Siluanov
- Combating Digital Dominance, Promoting AI Development in Russia: Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
- Russia to share water conservation expertise with African nations: Evgeny Petrov, Head of Federal Agency for Mineral Resources
- The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is being held on June 5-8, 2024.
By: Muhammad Arif
Moscow/ St. Petersburg: Representatives of more than 130 countries and regions are attending the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, SPIEF24, that began on Wednesday in Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg under the theme of “The formation of new areas of growth as the cornerstone of a multipolar world”.
Russia is open to constructive dialogue for Peace, Development: Russian President Vladimir Putin
“Russia is open to constructive dialogue and interaction with its partners and is willing to work together to solve the economic, social, scientific and technological problems of our time,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his congratulatory message to the SPIEF24.
Russian Economy Grows Growth amid Western Sanctions: Finance Minister Anton Siluanov
Western countries are “shooting themselves in the foot” by imposing sanctions on Russia, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Thursday.
“I think sanctions are to blame. [Western nations] are happy to impose sanctions, but they shoot themselves in the foot. Their economies are stagnating, ours is growing. Therefore, the process [of Russia’s economic growth] has accelerated,” Siluanov said during a discussion centered on the goals set for the Russian economy.
The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.6% last year. In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it expects the Russian economy to grow faster than all advanced economies in 2024. GDP is forecast to expand by 3.2%, exceeding the expected growth rates for the US (2.7%), the UK (0.5%), Germany (0.2%), and France (0.7%).
Combating Digital Dominance, Promoting AI Development in Russia: Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
Russia intends to develop its home-grown AI capabilities to challenge Western technological dominance and shield its citizens from brainwashing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
Russia, she stressed, intends to push back against attempts to “cement digital neocolonialism” and to promote its own initiatives in the AI domain on various international platforms.
“We believe that all countries, without exception and on an equal and fair basis, should have unhindered access to such technologies and opportunities, which can become a powerful driver of sustainable economic development.”
Russia to share water conservation expertise with African nations: Evgeny Petrov, Head of Federal Agency for Mineral Resources
Russia is prepared to share its expertise in groundwater level monitoring with African nations facing water scarcity, the head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Mineral Resources said on Thursday.
Speaking at a ‘Water is more precious than gold’ conference during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Evgeny Petrov said: “We have a history of more than 30 years of monitoring all groundwater in our country … We have valuable experience to share with our African colleagues, especially since there are countries with significant water shortages, relying heavily on groundwater supplies.”
The four-day SPIEF24 will feature more than 400 business events, including seminars, dialogues and panel discussions, covering topics ranging from world economic transition to advanced technology development.
According to officials sources, SPIEF has evolved into a renowned global platform for the business community to discuss critical economic issues facing Russia and the world since its inception in 1997.
SPIEF23 was attended by more than 6,000 Russian and foreign business representatives from over 3,000 companies in 75 countries and territories in 2023, and over 900 agreements worth a total of 3,860 billion rubles (around $43.2 billion) were signed.
“The current dynamics of business activity of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum fully reflects the structural and economic changes that have taken place in Russia as a result of consolidation and mobilization of efforts of the state authorities, business and society, with the direct support of the scientific community,” Anton Kobyakov, adviser to the Russian president and executive secretary of the organizing committee of the forum was quoted as saying by its official website.
“The unprecedented interest from foreign partners and the media shows that the Russian market and, in general, Russia’s economic model of development and consolidation, against the backdrop of serious restrictions and pressure from the collective West, has shown its competitiveness. Multinational and multicultural, value-oriented Russia is becoming one of the growth centers of the emerging multipolar world,” the executive secretary said.
