WASHINGTON, June 7. /TASS/. Russia, by holding the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), shows that it is prospering, not backsliding, amid the sanctions imposed against it by many countries, US political scientist and analyst John Kavulich said in a commentary to TASS.

"My first experience. Quite assaulting in its grandeur. The physical enormity. The creativity of the displays. The technology employed by [the foundation] Roscongress," the expert said, speaking about his visit to the forum.

"What SPIEF has become since 2014 (and meaningfully since 2022) is an 'in your face' to those governments who have imposed sanctions upon commercial, economic, financial, political, and military sectors within the Russian Federation. SPIEF announces - Russia is surviving. Russia is thriving. Russia does not quit. SPIEF Is Russia's Super Bowl for Business," he added.

"This is not to under-appreciate the impact of sanctions upon the people, and public and private sectors throughout the Russian Federation. They are consequential and have impacted, limited the bandwidth that SPIEF could again be," Kavulich added.

"The fact that SPIEF is happening demonstrates that Russia is not closed," he stated. Kavulich drew attention to the fact that although the level of representation of some delegations this year is lower than the last one, the forum is still actively working. He said that he had met with representatives of Venezuela and Cuba at the forum.

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.