A Vietnamese delegation has arrived for the 22nd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2018) which opened at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre in Saint Petersburg City, Russia.
The event is being held from May 24-26 under the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin. About 10,000 delegates from more than 120 countries attended the forum.
The Vietnamese delegation is led by Nguyen Van Binh, who is Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Party Committee and Head of the Central Economic Commission of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.
Representatives at the forum represent the largest Russian and foreign companies, State leaders and politicians, heads of government, deputy prime ministers, ministers and governors of provinces.
SPIEF serves as a platform for dialogue on key issues in the world economy, regional integration and the development of new industrial and technological sectors, as well as on the global challenges facing Russia and other nations.
Under the forum’s central theme ‘Creating an Economy of Trust’, delegates will discuss the impact of digital technology on all aspects of life, including “hot” issues such as artificial intelligence, gene therapy and technology excellence in medicine.
The SPIEF-2018’s activities focus on four main themes, including The Global Economy in an Era of Change; Russia: Utilising Growth Potential; Human Capital in the Digital Economy; and Leadership Technologies.
TASS news agency, an information partner of Vietnam News Agency, is the main information partner and image provider for the forum. TASS is also the coordinator of the Advisory Board on Foreign Investment in Russia at the forum.
Delegates held round-table discussions on investment issues, relations between Russia and China, and relations between Russia and European countries. The most awaited event on the opening day was the meeting between President Putin and members of the International Expert Council of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and representatives of the international investment community. It is expected that the 40 largest fund managers in the world from 20 countries will attend the meeting.
In 2017, SPIEF gathered 14,000 delegates representing 143 countries around the world. In the framework of the forum last year, 400 investment deals worth nearly two trillion roubles (US$32.5 billion) were signed. — VNS