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Coca-Cola, Boeing, other US companies to participate in SPIEF, says AmCham President

Earlier, a representative of the US State Department said that the US would not send a government delegation to the Forum

VOLOGDA, June 4. /TASS/. Representatives of big American companies plan to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 6-8 despite the fact that the official US delegation will not take part, President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Russia Alexis Rodzianko told TASS on the sidelines of the Fort Ross Dialogue forum.

"I know about the companies, with which I have discussed the issue. Those are companies, whose representatives will participate in our roundtable ‘Business Dialogue Russia-US’. Among them are Coca-Cola, Weatherford, Air Products, Boeing, AbbVie, Cushman & Wakefield, as well as Baring Vostok," he said.

"As far as I understand the ambassador (of the US to Russia Jon Huntsman - TASS) will not attend the St. Petersburg forum, neither will officials from the US government, though I know for sure that representatives of the American business will be there," Rodzianko said.

A representative of the US State Department told TASS earlier that the US would not send a government delegation to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Andrea Kalan, a spokesperson for the US Embassy in Russia, has said that Ambassador Jon Huntsman would boycott SPIEF over the case of the founder of the Baring Vostok private equity firm Michael Calvey who is accused of embezzlement.

On May 31, Russian President’s aide Anton Kobyakov told TASS that despite the US' refusal to send a government delegation to SPIEF over 400 representatives of the American business confirmed their participation one week before the Forum.

Michael Calvey, the founder and managing partner of Baring Vostok, was detained and later arrested on suspicion of embezzling 2.5 bln rubles ($37.5 mln) from Vostochny Bank. Moscow’s Basmanny Court also arrested five other suspects in the case. Calvey was sent to a pre-trial detention center, but later he was placed under house arrest. He himself has asked for permission to participate in SPIEF.