MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/. For Russia the 2020s will be a period when the country strengthens its economic sovereignty, while the country’s economy will remain committed to international cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement greeting the participants, organizers and guests of the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) published on the Kremlin’s website on Monday.
"I am confident that for Russia the 2020s will become a period when the country strengthens its economic sovereignty, which involves the accelerated development of its infrastructure and technological base, qualitative upgrades in the level of training for specialists, as well as the establishment of an independent and efficient financial system," Putin noted.
That said, "the Russian economy will increasingly rely on private initiatives and, of course, will remain committed to transparency and broad international cooperation," he added.
The Russian leader also expects the SPIEF "to continue to make a significant contribution to solving numerous high-priority challenges facing humanity, while mutual trust, meaningfulness and commitment to fruitful dialogue and partnership will invariably remain its distinguishing features."
"It is in our common interests to bolster trade and investment, encourage the joint development of technologies, strengthen financial and stock markets, and increase the share of settlements in national currencies," he stressed, adding that "it is crucial to introduce and develop truly mutually beneficial integration models, as is already being done in the Eurasian Economic Union."
The 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will take place on June 15-18, 2022. According to Roscongress, over 2,700 business representatives have confirmed their participation as of June 1, of which more than 1,000 are represented by heads of companies. Representatives of all Russian constituent entities have confirmed plans to be present at the Forum.