MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. At the moment, 17,000 people and 3,400 media representatives from 136 countries and territories have confirmed their participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2024 (SPIEF), which will be held on June 5 - 8, according to the Roscongress Foundation.

"At the moment, 17,100 people and 3,400 media representatives from 136 countries and territories have confirmed their participation in the SPIEF. SPIEF is currently acting as one of the sovereign centers of global development, fulfilling a historically unique mission to maintain the global balance of power and build a multipolar international system, creating conditions for development based on a unifying and constructive agenda dictated by Russia's national interests," Advisor to the Russian President, Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov said.

According to him, the forum has become a full-fledged national development institution. "Participation and interest in the forum have reached pre-COVID levels. Today we can confidently say that the period of restoration of business activity is over and we are in a growth phase. The 2019 figures have been surpassed, which suggests that the forum is in demand by the global business community as a communication tool and that interest in it continues to grow," Kobyakov added.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held from June 5 to 8.