Next week’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will feature a discussion panel on Russia-U.S. business relations, organizers said Tuesday.
“Business continues to find ways to interact even in conditions of limited political dialogue,” said Anton Kobyakov, a Kremlin adviser and head of the SPIEF 2025 organizing committee.
The annual economic forum is set to take place between June 18 and 21. SPIEF describes the June 19 Russia-U.S. discussion panel as a platform to “overcome barriers” and explore cooperation in investment, energy, technology and infrastructure.
“Special attention is given to finding effective mechanisms for implementing promising projects, as well as exchanging experience and best practices that could serve as a foundation for sustainable economic growth,” the SPIEF website says.
Kobyakov called the forum a “unique platform for pragmatic and open communication where Russian and U.S. business circles can discuss current challenges and build new areas of cooperation.”
Robert Agee, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham Russia), will moderate the panel discussion, according to the forum’s website. Agee and Kobyakov discussed the possibility of U.S. businesses participating in SPIEF 2025 at a meeting in April.
Scheduled guests at the Russia-U.S. panel include American musician and Soyuz Microphones co-founder David Arthur Brown, blockchain fintech executive Daniel Wolfe and Sibur Holdings CFO Peter Lloyd O’Brien.
The Kremlin previously claimed that American and European companies remain interested in the annual economic forum despite sanctions and the war in Ukraine, but many prefer to keep their involvement out of the public eye.
Agee estimated that roughly 150 U.S. companies have left Russia since the 2022 invasion, while about 150 continue to operate in the country.
President Vladimir Putin is expected to deliver his annual keynote address on SPIEF 2025’s final day, June 21.
SPIEF is organized by the state-backed Roscongress Foundation.
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