St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to open June 3
ST. PETERSBURG. June 2 (Interfax) - The 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will open at the ExpoForum convention center on Wednesday, June 3.
The main theme of the forum this year is "Pragmatic Dialog: the Path to a Stable Future." The thematic tracks of the forum program are: "The Global Economy: Between Confrontation and Cooperation"; "The Russian Economy: Structural Changes for Returning to a Growth Trajectory"; "Technologies Shaping the Future"; "An Environment to Live In: New Technologies - A New Quality"; and "The Social Sphere in the Age of New Technologies."
The program will have more than 150 sessions, grouped by thematic area, from the global and Russian economies to technological leadership, the social agenda and the development of an environment for life. Special attention will be given to formats for practical dialog, such as business breakfasts and international business dialogs. A Russia-U.S. business dialog will be held at the forum for the second time.
Participants in the forum will discuss issues concerning international cooperation and the development of BRICS, technological leadership and digital sovereignty, the adoption of artificial intelligence, development of financial markets, the creative economy, healthcare, human resources potential and sustainable development.
The guest country at the forum this year will be Saudi Arabia.
The business program at SPIEF-2026 will be attended by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, the deputy head of the presidential administration Maxim Oreshkin, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov and Central Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina.
The business community at this year's forum will be represented by Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim, Severstal principal shareholder Alexei Mordashov, Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov, Aeon Corporation founder Roman Trotsenko and Sberbank CEO Herman Gref, among others.
International participants in the forum will include Saudi Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, Kyrgyz First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiev, Serbian International Economic Cooperation Minister Nenad Popovic, Sierra Leone Mines and Mineral Resources Minister Julius Mattai and Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. In total, representatives of more than 130 countries have confirmed their participation in the forum.
SCO and BRICS business forums, a B20 forum, SME forum and Drug Security Forum will also be held on the sidelines of SPIEF.
The opening ceremony of SPIEF-2026 will be held on June 4 and President Vladimir Putin will speak at the plenary session on Friday, June 5. The forum will conclude on Saturday, June 6.
PCR testing will not be required to gain access to the ExpoForum from June 3 to 6. PCR testing for Covid-19, influenza A/B and acute respiratory viral infections will be required only to attend the plenary session of SPIEF.
The weather during the forum in St. Petersburg will be warm, though some rain is expected on Wednesday and Thursday. Daytime temperatures will be in the range of 22-26 degrees Celsius.
