The 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is being held in Saint Petersburg, bringing together 20,000 representatives from 140 countries. This year’s forum is held under the theme “Shared Values as the Foundation for a Multipolar World.” A delegation from Republika Srpska, led by President Milorad Dodik, is also participating.
The International Economic Forum is becoming increasingly important for both Russia and its foreign partners, emphasized Russian President Vladimir Putin on the first day of the event.
“The main task of the authorities in 2025 is to improve the quality of life for Russian citizens. It is essential to ensure balanced economic growth and structural transformation of the Russian economy,” said Putin.
Putin stated that economic and social development objectives would be discussed during the forum’s plenary session, which will be attended by the president of Republika Srpska, invited by the Russian president himself.
“I received his invitation to participate in the forum, whose plenary session is where President Putin addresses the public and the global community. Before and after that, a series of meetings will take place, including the one we had with the governor of Saint Petersburg,” said Dodik.
While cooperation with the Saint Petersburg region focuses on education and healthcare, the partnership with the Republic of Tatarstan centers on economy and technology. The Srpska delegation will meet with representatives of Tatarstan on the forum’s sidelines, as well as with Russian companies that continue to operate successfully despite Western sanctions.
“For Republika Srpska, it is crucial to rely not only on compatible economies but also on people willing to embrace us. Those here understand where we are and under what circumstances we live. This is a great country and a great nation. Here in Saint Petersburg, we are being offered the chance to establish an entire trade center for selling our products,” said Dodik.
The placement of consumer goods on the Russian market is a valuable opportunity for businesses from Republika Srpska to position their products and make them available to citizens of Saint Petersburg and all of Russia for everyday shopping.
“I’ve spoken with the head of our Representative Office about organizing a meeting by the end of July with our businesspeople producing consumer goods, alongside representatives of our office in Russia. We aim to intensify discussions on transport logistics so that these goods reach this market,” said Republika Srpska’s Minister of Trade and Tourism, Denis Šulić.
An excellent piece of news arrived from Saint Petersburg for domestic producers—six companies from Republika Srpska and the Federation have been approved to export meat, milk, and processed products to the Russian Federation.
“This will certainly impact the volume of foreign trade. It’s a great opportunity for our entrepreneurs to establish themselves in the vast Russian market, which will also facilitate future cooperation, especially with regard to meeting the standards required here in the Russian Federation,” stated Staša Košarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers.
Unsurprisingly, political topics were also discussed in Saint Petersburg. Košarac thanked Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova for the support Russia provides to Republika Srpska and for its principled stance on the illegitimacy of Christian Schmidt.
As a reminder, the President of Republika Srpska met today with the Governor of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Beglov. It was reiterated that Srpska and Russia will continue to strengthen their already fruitful cooperation in all areas of society and that Russia stands firmly with Republika Srpska.
Source: RTRS
