Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to answer questions from Western journalists in St. Petersburg today.
On the second day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin will meet with representatives of international news organizations to discuss Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, his foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said.
In previous years, Q&A sessions typically lasted several hours.
Moscow is using the forum to present Russia on the international stage and, despite slowing economic growth, show resilience after more than four years of war in Ukraine and Western sanctions.
The forum started yesterday, with some difficulties, after the Ukrainian drone attack caused an alarm that lasted for several hours. As the delegates arrived at the venue of the forum, black smoke could be seen over some parts of the city.
According to the Kremlin, about 20,000 participants from more than 100 countries registered for the forum.
This year, the Russian government is trying to attract a larger number of business representatives from Europe and the United States of America. Among the participants are delegations from the American Chamber of Commerce and German companies.
The German-Russian Chamber of Commerce is organizing its own event within the forum for the first time in several years.
The forum is also attended by several representatives from the far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD). Those politicians traveled to Russia despite the recommendation of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to go on that trip, reports DPA.
(Vijesti.ba/Fena)
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