(Itar-Tass) - Competitive advantages of developing countries, modern globalisation challenges and other world economic problems will be the main topics for discussion at the jubilee 10th St. Petersburg Economic Forum opening on Tuesday.
This year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered to change the forums format. It has been organized by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development unlike in previous years when it was held by the Russian Federation Council and the Council of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, reports Trend.
The venue of the forum, which is also known as the Russian Davos, has also been changed. It has been moved from the St. Petersburg Tavrichesky Palace to the pavilions of the Lenexpo exhibition complex located on the Gulf of Finland. There, several international expositions have been put on view. They are Innovative Achievements, New Technologies in the Fuel and Energy Sector, investment projects and exhibition stands of countries-delegates to the forum.
The jubilee St. Petersburg Economic Forum will gather more than 3,000 delegates. A number of foreign delegations are headed by the presidents and government members. The forum has already been described as the key event in Russias economic life of 2006. Its participants will analyse the general trends in the development of the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. These countries have been the leaders in the world economic growth in recent years.
More narrow discussions will be held at roundtable meetings. Presentations of special economic zones and investment projects will be held. A government commission will select these projects.
The cultural program of the 10th St. Petersburg Economic Forum will coincide with the Stars of White Nights art festival in which the world s top artists will perform.
For his part, Russian Minister of Economic Development German Gref promised a lot of surprises at the forum. For the first time, the event will be open to broad public. On June 15, 2006, all Lenexpo pavilions will open its doors to St. Petersburg residents and guests. They will be able to visit the expositions free of charge and ask their participants questions.
The first economic forum was held in St. Petersburg in the summer of 1997. It drew together over 1,500 delegates from the CIS countries, the regions and territories of the Russian Federation, representatives of banking and finance structures, entrepreneurs and public figures.
The 10th St. Petersburg Economic Forum was assigned the status of annual in 1998. Delegations from 59 countries took part in it in 1999.