ST. PETERSBURG, June 7. /TASS/. The world development center is shifting to Asia, Russia needs to be closer to it, President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"The center of world development is there. And, of course, we need to be closer to these centers," he said.
According to Putin, Peter the Great opened the window into Europe precisely because this is where the main development was seen. "The center of world development today is shifting to Asia, there is no doubt about it. And, of course, we need to be closer to these centers of development," the president said.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum takes place on June 5-8. This year’s theme is "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.