Business Programme for 20th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Published

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The Organizing Committee of the 20th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has unveiled details of the event's business programme. The Forum will take place on June 16-18, 2016, at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, under the theme "Capitalizing on the New Global Economic Reality".

An extended version of the programme, which is divided into five thematic pillars, is now available on the official SPIEF website. It includes names of session speakers and moderators, brief descriptions, and key issues for discussion.

As in previous years, the Forum's central event will be the plenary session on 17 June, which will include speeches by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, and President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic Matteo Renzi. The official SPIEF opening ceremony will take place on 16 June, and will be attended by high-ranking guests.

More than 200 speakers and moderators have now confirmed their participation in the programme. These will include heads of state and government, prominent Russian and international figures from the public and political spheres, ministers, and heads of government agencies. Among those planning to attend the Forum are President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev; Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Reinhold Mitterlehner; Vice-President of the Republic of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas Ruíz; First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Shuvalov; Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexey Ulyukaev; Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Sberbank Herman Gref; and Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Strategic Research Alexey Kudrin.

In addition, a number of leading Russian economists and businesspeople, as well as major figures from international organizations and large international businesses have confirmed their attendance. These include CEO of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji; CEO of Glencore Ivan Glasenberg; Vice-Chairman of SUN Group Shiv Khemka; Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group Jack Ma; CEO of Wintershall Holding Mario Mehren; CEO of Fondo Strategico Italiano Maurizio Tamagnini; President of Thomas Vendôme Investment Jean-Pierre Thomas; Chairman & CEO of Schneider Electric Jean-Pascal Tricoire; CEO of Société Générale Frederic Oudea; Chairman of Vnesheconombank Sergey Gorkov; CEO of the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation Sergey Kirienko; Chairman of the Management Board and Director General of Russian Grids (Rosseti) Oleg Budargin; and President and Chairman of the Management Board of MTS Andrei Dubovskov.

"This year, the SPIEF programme will pay particular attention to the development of mechanisms to help solve the most pressing economic issues in Russia and the wider world. We are standing today at the threshold of a new global economic reality, and it is Eurasia which holds the key to the next economic breakthrough. A number of unique investment opportunities are concentrated in Russia, and we would like to expound on these at the Forum," said Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov.

Currently, 72 Forum events are scheduled. These will encompass numerous different formats, including the plenary session, panel sessions, round table discussions, business breakfasts, and TV debates. There will be an SCO Business Forum, a BRICS Business Forum, and a G20 Business Forum, as well as the traditional Global Energy Awards Ceremony and the Energy Summit, in which heads of global fuel and energy majors from around the world will take part. A special session of the Valdai Club and events in the Conversations with the Extraordinary series are also scheduled, while the Conference on the Economic Development of the Arctic will be held at the Forum for the first time. The second Russian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum will be held on June 15, the day before SPIEF commences. The Forum will also host two exhibitions: SPIEF Investment Projects (encompassing both Russian and international projects), and SPIEF Business Expo, which will showcase products and services designed to facilitate business operations.

Over the past 20 years, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has developed to become a unique platform for open dialogue between emerging and developed economies, government representatives, civil society, and business.

Another first for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be the SPIEF RACE, which will commence from St. Isaac's Cathedral on 17 June. The competition is open to Forum participants and accredited journalists who have registered to participate via the event website. The route will go past historical buildings and locations in the city, such as Palace Square, the Winter Palace, the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, and Kazan Cathedral.

The Forum will include a varied cultural programme, with theatre productions, charity events and auctions, thematic presentations, film and documentary screenings, and various guided tours all planned.

Further information is available on the official SPIEF website: http://www.forumspb.com