ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will culminate on Friday with a plenary session with Russian President Vladimir Putin attending.

At first, the Russian leader is expected to deliver a speech about the situation in politics and economy, both on the domestic and global level. The president is expected to give his opinion about Russia’s relations with a number of important foreign partners, his aide Yury Ushakov said.

Other high-profile speakers at the plenary session are Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Bahraini National Security Adviser Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Paul Mashatile. They will be present on stage with Putin. And, after all speeches are delivered, they will take questions.

It is yet unclear who will moderate the plenary session.

Foreign guests

On top of that, Putin will continue a series of meetings with high-ranking foreign guests taking part in the forum.

In the run-up to the plenary session, Putin will meet with Bahrain’s national security adviser. After that, he will talk to the Chinese vice president and OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais.

The series of meetings began on Wednesday, when Putin met with New Development Bank of BRICS Chairwoman Dilma Rousseff. On Thursday, he held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Paul Mashatile.

Also, the president met with heads of leading global news agencies on Wednesday. The meeting has been organized by TASS for many years.

About the forum

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 18-21. This year, the event is held under the theme "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." Thematic zones such as the ‘Territory of Innovations’ and the national brand space ‘Buy Russian!’ will operate at the Forum.

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, the Drug Security Forum, and the Roscongress Urban Hub discussion platform. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival will be held, and the SPIEF Sports Games will take place.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its information partner.