The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2011 Will Convene Under the Theme 'Emerging Leadership for a New Era'

ST PETERSBURG, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The XV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which is being held June 16-18, 2011, will convene under the theme 'Emerging Leadership for a New Era' in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, will give the opening remarks, and in the coming weeks, SPIEF expects to confirm the participation of heads of state from a range of key emerging markets and developed economies.

Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, Arkady Dvorkovich, told journalists today at a briefing, "We are expecting a lot of guests for the Forum in St. Petersburg. The Chinese President Hu Jintao has been invited as honorable guest, and will make one of the main speeches after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at the plenary session."

Clearly indicating the importance of emerging markets in shaping the future, sessions at the Forum are arranged under three pillars:

- Securing Global Growth will examine the drivers, opportunities and potential risks to the global economy, as well as explore mitigating policies and institutional responses to securing growth;

- Building Russia's Creative Capital will focus on how Russia is striving to reach its next stages in modernization;

- Expanding Technology Horizons will explore the possibilities and limitations as scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, financiers, and policy makers all collaborate to bring new capabilities and innovations to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Updated information on the Forum programme and confirmed discussion panel participants can been found online at http://www.forumspb.com