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Putin's speech at SPIEF becomes one of longest in forum's history

Russian president speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum plenary session lasted 55 minutes

ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) plenary session lasted 55 minutes, thus becoming one of the five longest in the history of the forum.

The following high-ranking guests then gave speeches: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Advisor to the King of Bahrain, and Vice Premier of the Chinese State Council Ding Xuexiang. South African Deputy President Paul Shipokosa Mashatile is scheduled to speak soon. Once all the speeches have concluded, the speakers will take questions on the day's main topics. Sky News Arabia presenter Nadim Koteich is moderating this year's plenary session.

In recent years, presidential statements at the SPIEF have set records in terms of duration. For example, Putin spoke for exactly one hour last year. In 2023, the president's speech was the longest on record at about one hour and 19 minutes. In 2022, the president's speech lasted about one hour and 14 minutes. Previously, the longest speech was 49 minutes in 2012 and 45 minutes in 2021.

The average length of the Russian leader's speech at the SPIEF in previous years was about half an hour. His speeches in 2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013 were all about this long. At the same time, the shortest speeches were at the forum in 2018 and 2017, lasting about 20 minutes each. The forum was not held in 2020 due to the introduction of sanitary and epidemiological restrictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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