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Business lunch resume: RF Honorary Consulate and SPIEF in the State of Baden-Württemberg

The event focused on the necessity of further developing and strengthening economic cooperation between Russia and Germanydiscussed

MOSCOW, March 20 /St. Petersburg International Economic Forum/ -- On 20 March in Stuttgart (Germany) the Honorary Consulate of the Russian Federation in Baden-Württemberg and the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum hosted a working lunch with representatives of the German business community. The event, which was held with the participation of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, focused on the necessity of further developing and strengthening economic cooperation between Russia and Germany. The main challenges facing the Russian economy and the Russian government’s anti-crisis programme was also discussed.

"Germany has always been and remains one of Russia’s main economic partners. Given the difficult geopolitical situation today, as well as the challenging economic situation – both in Europe and Germany – developing partnerships is a key objective. Foreign investors have fallen victim to the sanctions as well as the Russian economy, and they are concerned about the state of the country’s economy. Our business lunch is devoted to assessing the current state of the Russian economy, examining the reasons for the current situation, and discussing the Russian government’s plan to overcome the crisis. We have an interest in seeing our German partners participate in the Russian economy, and would like to invite representatives of the German business community to continue this constructive dialogue at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 18–20 June 2015. The event will include discussions on pressing issues on the Russian agenda, as well as on the global economy and today’s world order", said Sergey Belyakov, Chairman of the Board of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Foundation.

"I have been attending SPIEF for about 20 years, and I can confirm that this business platform annually hosts key players at the very highest level. If the representatives of German companies present here today have the opportunity to attend, then they should do so. Participating in the Forum this year has taken on additional importance. German business always remains in countries where it has made investments, and we are planning to keep things that way. We will continue to operate on the Russian market, even if the current environment forces us to adapt", said Professor Mangold.

Speaking on the RDIF, Jyrki Talvitie also noted that "attending SPIEF is incredibly beneficial, with the RDIF itself convening over 20 sovereign wealth funds at the venue, possessing portfolios worth a total of USD 4.4 trillion."

The event was attended by politicians and major business representatives from Germany and Russia:

Sergey Babkin, Embassy Counselor, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Germany
Klaus Mangold, Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation for Baden Württemberg
Sergey Belyakov, Chairman of the Board, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Foundation
Jyrki Talvitie, External Communications Director, RDIF
Franz Reiner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mercedes-Benz Bank AG
Bernd Reuter, Ministerial Advisor, External Economic Relations, Ministry of Economy Baden-Wuerttemberg
Michael K. Kuhn, CEO, DC Aviation GmbH
Wolfgang Bauer, CEO, Wolfgang Bauer Consult
Richter, Andreas, President, IHK Stuttgart
H. Gerhard Pfeifer, President of Bosch Group in Russia, CIS and Georgia, R. Bosch GmbH and others

For more information, please visit the official SPEF website: www.forumspb.com.

Contacts:

Irina Skatova

Tel.:+ 7 (812) 635-80-18 (150)

irina.skatova@forumspb.com

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