The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is the main annual international economic and business forum convened in Russia. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was established in 1997. Since 2006 SPIEF is held under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation. The Organising Committee of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is chaired by the Minister for Economic Development of the Russian Federation, with input on the programme and activities coming from a community of major international and Russian business leaders.
Over the past five years the Forum has transformed into a leading global business event, attracting over 4000 Russian and international participants, representing government and business leaders from around the world, joined by leading voices from academia, the media, and civil society. More than 4,700 participants from 96 countries attended the Forum in 2011.
SPIEF gathers the world’s leading decision makers to identify and deliberate the key challenges facing emerging markets and growth economies, Russia and the world, and engage communities to find common purpose and establish frameworks to forge solutions.

Organizers

1. St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Organizing Committee.

2. SPIEF Foundation

XV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (June 16-18, 2011)

The XV St Petersburg International Economic Forum was convened on June 16-18, 2011 under the theme ‘Emerging Leadership for a New Era’. The Forum was attended by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and five foreign government leaders: Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Finland Tarja Halonen, and President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The discussions at the Forum were built around three interrelated pillars: 'Securing Global Growth', 'Building Russia’s Creative Capital' and 'Expanding Technology Horizons'. At the opening plenary the participants of the Forum were addressed by President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao.
The programme of the Forum included the traditional gathering of CEOs of global energy companies at the energy session entitled ‘New Paths to Energy Security’.
The Forum continued cooperation with international television companies. SPIEF 2011 hosted three television debates organised jointly with CNBC, BBC and Bloomberg.
The Forum continued a series of briefings under the theme ‘Doing Business in Russia’, which gave participants a chance to acquire firsthand information on legislative initiatives aimed at improving opportunities to do business in Russia as well as pose questions to the key newsmakers who shape the business and investment climate in the country.

The closing plenary session ‘Managing Fault Lines and Avoiding Future Crises’ featured President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, Prime Minister of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and President of Finland Tarja Halonen.
Dmitry Medvedev awarded the Russian electrophysicist and academic of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Filipp Rutberg, and the American physicist and professor, Arthur Rosenfeld with the Global Energy Prize 2011.*http://forumspb.com

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2010

More than 4,200 delegates from 87 countries took part in the St. Petersburg 2010 International Economic Forum. Representatives for 2,066 Russian and 2,142 foreign businesses visited the site of the forum between June 17 and 19 2010. Among the participants in the official program were nearly 80 top executives of major global companies, high-ranking officers and managers of 325 foreign and 360 Russian companies, as well as official delegations from 80 countries.
1134 members of the mass media were present at the forum. Media outlets of 24 countries were represented, namely: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Britain, Germany, India, Iran, Spain, Italy, Qatar, China, Lithuania, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovenia, USA, Turkey, Ukraine, Finland, France and Japan.*http://forumspb.com/en/news/2111

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2009

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2009 was dedicated to pressing issues of the current stage of world development. The ongoing global economic crisis confirms the need to abandon standard approaches and requires collective, nontrivial solutions to be adopted. Forum participants discussed new approaches to understanding the future of international financial institutions, the prospects for development of the banking sector, the efficiency of measures taken by governments and other equally important issues.
Special attention was paid to Russia's role in solving these problems. The Forum was attended by representatives of the world political and business elite, and leading economists and experts.
2 514 people attended the official Forum programme, including:
• 5 Heads of States and Governments (Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Finland, and the Philippines, and the Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina);
• 35 Vice Prime Ministers and Ministers of foreign countries;
• 56 Ambassadors; and
• 54 representatives of international organizations.
Altogether there were 271 members of official delegations from 73 countries.
• 693 representatives of foreign business from 83 countries, including sponsor and partner representatives; and
• 802 representatives of Russian business, including sponsor and partner representatives.
The work of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum was covered by 1 200 media representatives from 28 countries (Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Germany, Georgia, Egypt, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Canada, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, China, Lithuania, Macedonia, Russia, Rumania, the United States, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, the Philippines, Finland, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Japan).

Partners of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2009

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2009 Information Partners

General Information Sponsor — RIA-Novosti
General TV Partner — Vesti TV channel
General Information Partner — Vedomosti business newspaper
General Information Partner — RT TV channel
Official SPIEF Newspaper — Metro Newspaper

•Bloomberg • International Herald Tribune (IHT) • Interfax Group• Finance magazine • Forbes magazine • Russian Newsweek • Expert Media Holding • Reuters • The Moscow Times• Business FM •Financial Times • PRIME-TASS • Delovoi Petersburg newspaper • Economy and Life newspaper • Itogi • Promyshlennik Rossii magazine • “Mir” Interstate Broadcasting Company • GAZETA newspaper

The I St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 18–20, 1997 under the auspices of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of CIS Member States and with the support of the Russian government. It was attended by more than 1 500 people from 50 countries. During the Forum, the governments of Russia and Belarus signed loan agreements totaling 500 billion roubles.

The II St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 17–19, 1998 under the auspices of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of CIS Member States and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The Forum, held as an annual event for the first time, was attended by some 2 600 people, including leaders of CIS member-states, and representatives of 36 major international organizations, including the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and UNESCO. In addition, the Forum was attended by prominent Russian scholars, as well as heads of Russian and international private financial institutions.
During the Forum, 700 investment projects were agreed on, and 52 agreements and protocols on investments totaling approximately USD 1 billion were signed.

The III St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 16–17, 1999 under the auspices of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of CIS Member States, as well as with the support of the Russian President and Government. The Forum was attended by more than 2 000 people. Among the most memorable events of the Forum was the exhibition on Regional Markets of Russia and CIS countries, and the presentation of the Greater Volga and Siberian Agreement inter-regional associations for economic interaction between federal subjects of the RF.

The IV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 13–15, 2000 under the motto "Strategies for the XXI Century: Concerted Efforts in the Interests of Creativity and Sustainable Development". The Forum was attended by more than 2 200 people from 57 countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, China, Egypt, Brazil, and Peru. Forum participants included the UN Under Secretary General, Mark Brown; Acting President of the EBRD, Charles Frank; and representatives of OSCE and other international organizations and institutions. During the Forum, a Moscow-Paris teleconference dedicated to a number of social and economic problems was organized, which was attended by members of the Federation Council of Russia, and French senators, as well as prominent thought leaders and public figures of the two countries.

The V St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 12–16, 2001 under the motto "The XXI Century: Innovative Development for the Benefit of Humanity". By 2001, the Forum’s status had grown significantly. It was officially recognized as the primary economic conference for the CIS. The presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan sent letters of welcome to Forum participants. The Forum was attended by Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman and Chairman of the Parliament of Romania Nicolae Vacaroiu. In addition, representatives of the IMF and IBRD were in attendance.

The VI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 18–22, 2002 under the motto "Russia and the CIS; Moving Towards Sustainable Development — Issues of Governance”. The Forum was attended by more than 2 000 representatives of Russia and 40 foreign countries (including the CIS). The Forum programme included presentations of investment projects, exhibitions, and business negotiations that culminated in of contracts and agreements signing. The main result of the Forum was the further improvement of international economic relations. The VI Forum differed from previous Forums not only in its strategic focus, but also in its pragmatic approach. Issues of future investment in Russia and CIS countries were touched on as well.

The VII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 17–21, 2003 under the motto "Efficient Economy — a Decent Life". This international conference was attended by some 2 500 people from 48 countries. Among the honoured guests were EBRD President Jean Lemierre, Deputy UN Secretary General Brigita Schmognerova, IMF First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger, OECD Secretary General Donald Johnston, and Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization Philippe Petit. The Forum brought together representatives of political and business circles from Brazil and Turkey, as well as Nepal, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia. Chairman of the Latin American Parliament (LAP) Ney Lopes headed the official delegation of the LAP. The Business Council of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization was represented by its Secretary General Costas Masmanidis, and the Turkish-Russian Trade Council was represented by its president Turgut Gur. Two plenary sessions and 20 roundtables addressed issues of Eurasia's social and economic strategy in the 21st century.

The VIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 15–19, 2004 under the motto of the previous conference: "Efficient Economy — a Decent Life". The forum was attended by more than 3 000 people from 50 countries, including representatives from the UN, the EBRD, the World Intellectual Property Organization, Nordic Investment Bank, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. President Vladimir Putin and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan delivered a welcome speech. The forum programme included presentations and exhibitions of the Southern Federal District of Russia, Armenia and the Czech Republic, as well as an exhibition on Mineral Resources of the CIS.

The IX St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 14–16, 2005 under the auspices of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation under the motto "Efficient Economy – a Decent Life”. The Forum was attended by more than 1 800 people, including President Vladimir Putin and members of the Russian Government, as well as 25 ministers and 7 heads of parliament of other countries and 17 Russian and 10 foreign heads of regions. During the Forum two plenary sessions, more than 25 roundtables and 4 conferences were held, and numerous speeches were delivered. The primary focus of the Forum was meaningful and independent dialogue on the economic and social development of Russia and CIS countries, integration processes within the former Soviet Union, and prospects for international economic and humanitarian cooperation. Special attention was paid to problems of economic growth and quality of life in the context of globalization and issues of international and inter-regional cooperation between Nordic countries, which were discussed at the panel “Prospects for Cooperation in the Arctic”. Roundtables were attended by First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Herman Gref, Head of the Federal Agency for Science and Innovations Sergey Mazurenko, and the chairman of Gazprom, Alexey Miller.

The X St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 13–15, 2006 and was attended by Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Herman Gref, and many others. Among the international guest speakers were IMF First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger, India’s Minister of Trade and Industry Kamal Nath, China’s Chairman of the Committee on Development and Reform Ma Kai, and Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Luiz Fernando Furlan. The main theme of the 10-year anniversary Forum was “Challenges of Globalization and the Competitive Advantages of Developing Countries”. The organizers provided participants an opportunity to discuss the most urgent issues of the world economy: common development trends in Brazil, Russia, India and China — countries which in recent years have become world leaders in terms of economic growth — as well as trends and prospects for the development of Russia's economy. The ceremonial presentation of the Global Energy Awards was followed by a discussion on the most critical problems in the energy sector. The Lenexpo Exhibition Centre, which has all the necessary infrastructure for top-level plenary sessions, roundtables and exhibitions, became the new SPIEF venue.

The XI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 8–10, 2007. The Forum was a cooperation between two venues – the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the World Economic Forum in Davos. It was commemorated by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the Trade and the World Economic Forum. SPIEF was attended by more than 8 000 people and delegations from 76 countries, including 9 heads of state, 3 prime ministers, representatives of 340 foreign businesses from 65 countries, 37 representatives of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, 34 representatives of the State Duma, and 149 heads of Russian regions. On June 10, 2007, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev delivered a speech at the “Competitive Eurasia – the Space of Trust” panel. The core SPIEF programme consisted of 4 plenary sessions and 14 roundtables. During the Russia-China Trade and Investment Cooperation session, Russia and China signed 18 agreements on investment and trade cooperation totaling over USD 1 billion. Among them were agreements on partnership and cooperation between JSC Crocus International and the China Foreign Trade Center, a cooperation agreement and contract between Incom-Auto and Hebei Zhongxing Automobile Plant and the Ural Cars and Motors Company, and others. There were seven more roundtables and nine presentations during which 13 contract signing ceremonies, totaling approximately USD 13.5 billion, were held. One of the days of the St. Petersburg Forum was dedicated to the analysis of Russia's economy and its development trends up to 2020. In his speech, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov suggested that by 2020 Russia would become one of the five largest economies in the world. The distinctive feature of the XI Forum was its practical orientation. Exhibitions were among the main events of SPIEF and illustrated the high economic and innovative potential of Russia's regions.

The XII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Forum was held on June 6–8, 2008. The emergence of new centers of economic growth resulted in changes in the structure and development trends of global commodity and financial markets. The global financial crisis and problems associated with the dollar’s decline, the emergence of sovereign investment funds, and a rise in energy and food prices are individual manifestations of such processes. The problem of climate change can be added to the list, the solution of which requires not just individual, but collective efforts on the part of the majority of the world’s nations. The existing institutions of global economic management had been shaped in a different era, and now they do not fulfill their purpose of preventing recessionary trends and diminishing their negative effects, both for individual countries and the entire global economy. In such conditions, many nations act individually in order to protect their national interests. Such uncoordinated actions may cause the unjustified rise of protectionism. Fundamental reform of institutions and principles of global governance is essential for a more accurate reckoning of both national and global interests.

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2009

As the crisis has shown, in recent years the economies of the countries of the world have not become less (as was believed a year ago) but more dependent on each other; however, the crisis has revealed itself in different ways in various regions of the world. On the other hand, it has now become obvious that national and international institutions formed in the post-war period are inadequate for the level of development of the global economy and the financial system, and cannot allow the necessary level of trust in the economic system to be maintained. What are the peculiarities of the situation in the economies and banking systems in various regions of the world? What measures should be taken at national and supranational levels to alter the situation? What is the role of the banking sector and state policy in this sector? Is it enough to reform only the financial system or are wider structural changes needed? These and many other questions were specifically discussed by Forum participants. The centuries-long history of the worl knows many examples of struggle with economic crises and the methods of overcoming them.

See also

• SPIEF official website
• SPIEF foto gallery
• SPIEF youtube video gallery
• http://www.forumspb.com