MOSCOW, January 20, Moscow /St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Conoscere Eurasia Association/ -- A Memorandum of Cooperation between the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Conoscere Eurasia Association was signed today, January 20, 2015, in Moscow. The intention to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation was first announced at the Third Eurasian Forum Innovation and Internationalization, which took place in October 2014 in Verona.
The memorandum was signed by Sergey Belyakov, Chairman of the Board of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Foundation, and Antonio Fallico, President of the Conoscere Eurasia Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Banca Intesa.
The Memorandum of Cooperation between the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eurasian Forum, organized by Conoscere Eurasia Association (Verona), will make it possible to attract new participants to these events, to expand the geography of participation and to establish more business contacts, and will lead to a more intensive exchange of views. The memorandum is grounded in the principles of openness and freedom and the independence of business dialogue from geopolitical factors, which is especially important today.
Cesare Maria Ragaglini, the Italian Ambassador in the Russian Federation, gave a welcome speech at the ceremony: "This agreement will help to strengthen cooperation between Russia and Italy, and will facilitate the development of dialogue and the expansion of opportunities for entrepreneurs from both countries. We welcome this initiative."
Sergey Belyakov, Chairman of the Board of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, noted that this ceremony was more significant that the formal signing of the memorandum. “Today we see the processes of division rather than the processes of unity prevailing. And this ceremony is about not explaining why it is not possible to engage in cooperation but rather simply starting to do it. Italy is traditionally a strong partner of Russia, and therefore our objective is to create more opportunities and to be as effective as possible to ensure that these opportunities are used,” said Sergey Belyakov.
Antonio Fallico, President of the Conoscere Eurasia Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Banca Intesa: "The signing of the Memorandum for the Eurasian Forum in Verona will move things to a new qualitative level. The areas of cooperation that are reflected in it will enable us to create more comfortable conditions for strengthening the dialogue between business people from both countries."
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has been held in St. Petersburg annually in the world of economics and business since 1997. The Forum has since become one of the signature international events and an important venue for discussing key issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world as a whole. The discussions take different formats, from panel sessions to briefings, round tables, workshops, etc. In 2015, the Forum will take place on June 18-20.
The Eurasian Forum
The Eurasian Forum is a business platform for regular discussions on the outlook for development and strengthening of Euro-Asian cooperation. The 2014 Forum gathered more than 700 influential government and business representatives from the Eurasian region, including from Russia, Italy, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and China. The Fourth Eurasian Forum will take place on October 22–23, 2015 in Verona.
Conoscere Eurasia
Conoscere Eurasia is a public non-profit organization founded in Verona, Italy, in 2008. It operates at the Honorary Consulate of the Russian Federation in Verona. Its mission is to promote and deepen cultural, social and economic relations between Italy and Russia, as well as other Eurasian countries in which Russia has historically played a significant part.
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