St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
 |
|
| Formation | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | St. Petersburg, Russia |
| Location |
|
|
Region served
|
Worldwide |
|
Organizer
|
Russian Government, Roscongress Foundation |
| Website | http://www.forumspb.com/ |
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is an annual Russian business event for the economic sector, which has been held in St. Petersburg since 1997, and under the auspices of the Russian President since 2005 . Each year, more than 4,000 people from over 60 different countries take part. The Forum brings together the chief executives of major Russian and international companies, heads of state, political leaders, prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, departmental ministers, and governors.
The key purpose of the Forum is to provide a practical tool for business, helping to overcome the barriers, both geographical and informational, dividing Russia and other countries.
The first St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was held on June 18–20, 1997 under the auspices of the Council of the Federation, the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS and with the support of the Russian government. The Forum welcomed more than 1,500 attendees from 50 countries. The Russian and Belarusian governments signed credit agreements worth RUB 500 billion.
The St. Petersburg Economic Forum International Foundation was formed in 1998 in St. Petersburg, with Herman Gref, then the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, and chairman of its Municipal Property Management Committee, appointed in charge of its activities. An investment contribution was also provided by Leningrad Region. The grounds for the allocation were outlined in a decree from the Governor of Leningrad Region:
In 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree giving the go-ahead to the economic forum in St. Petersburg, and recommended that the St. Petersburg Economic Forum International Foundation be allocated the required funding and be offered support in organizing the event. Furthermore, it was also recommended that the Russian government provide possible financing and organizational support to the Council of the Federation and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS.
Information regarding the long-term role of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum International Foundation in the organization and running of the forum in St. Petersburg has not been made publicly available. Until 2004, the SPIEF Organizing Committee consisted of the Council of the Federation and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS. In 2004 the Chairman of the Council of the Federation Sergei Mironov and the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Russia Herman Gref joined the Organizing Committee, the former as chairman and the latter as Co-chairman.
...
Wikipedia