ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. Small and medium-sized business development, international cooperation of small and medium enterprises (SME) and drug security will be discussed on the "zero day" of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

More than 25 events are planned in total as part of the small and medium-sized business forum. Interaction between Russian and Chinese SMEs will be one of topics. The issue of the economic diplomacy and trade relations in greater Eurasia in the current international situation will be raised at another platform. Representatives of the business community will also review the steps taken at present to form the new consumer culture and high environmental standards.

Representatives of Kyrgyzstan and Russia will discuss opportunities for cooperation between the countries in the environment of the new economic reality. One more discussion of experts is designed to outline the ecosystem of SME in the UAE and opportunities the country offers to businessmen. Interregional trade agreements between Russia and India will be discussed, along with staged business dialogs with South Africa, Brazil, and Venezuela.

The Drug Security pharmaceutical forum will be traditionally held on the "zero day." Official delegations from BRICS countries will take part in the forum this year. In particular, healthcare regulators will have a meeting.

Key topics for discussion will be development of the domestic healthcare sector and the pharmaceutical industry, along with achievement of the drug sovereignty in the context of current global challenges. Experts will pay attention to import substitution of high-technology drugs and medical products in BRICS and best practices of implementing innovations in practical healthcare.

Sports will also be widely represented at SPIEF. Sessions of the "Media sport: phenomenon and potential" on June 6 and "Global projects of Russian sport" on June 7 will be dedicated to this area in the business program.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will be held on June 5-8. This year’s theme will be "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.