The Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum proved once again not only its importance as one of the major events on a global scale, but also reinforced the realities of the contemporary world which concern both Russia and all friendly countries of the Russian state, together representing the world majority and the multipolar world order.
For the 27th time, the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum – SPIEF 2024 – brought together the leaders of the largest Russian and foreign companies, as well as representatives of government structures, the political and scientific community, all within the framework of establishing business contacts and finding new partners, discussing promising projects and exchanging views on current political and economic trends in global and regional markets.
Another success
The prestige of the forum as one of the most important economic events in the world continues to grow. The even format is becoming more and more applied and dynamic: decisions are made quickly, based on the discussions results – new projects are launched, and practical solutions are formed. Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee, said: “This year, 21 800 people representing 139 countries and territories participated in the Forum events”.
Furthermore, according to Anton Kobyakov, the large presence of numerous foreign delegations and representatives of the business world confirmed once again that there is no question of any Russia’s isolation. The Forum brought together representatives from all countries wishing to develop their economies within the paradigm of a just and multipolar world. The freedom to choose the political and economic orientation for the various nations of the world was also confirmed by the very slogan of SPIEF-2024: “The basis of the multipolar world is the formation of new growth poles”.
Several heads of state traveled to Saint Petersburg for the event: the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Abkhazia Aslan Bjania, and the President of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia, Milorad Dodik. Among the forum guests were also being members of the royal families of the Kingdoms of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – Abdullah Khalifa Salman Al Khalifa and Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The events of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum also brought together more than 120 senior foreign officials – heads of international organizations and associations, ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, foreign cities and regions. The largest delegations were represented by China – 192 participants, the United Arab Emirates – 105, Zimbabwe – 86, Kazakhstan – 84, India – 80, Oman – 75. On the Russian side, the forum was attended by: 40 senior officials, 30 heads of federal services and agencies, as well as 81 heads of the subjects of the Russian Federation.
Also, more than 120 senior Russian officials took part in the Forum events. In total – more than 8300 representatives of Russian and foreign companies were present. Foreign companies were represented at the forum in the number of 480, belonging to 94 countries and territories, Russian companies numbered 3300. For the first time, representatives of key companies and organizations of the diamonds mining industry from African and South Asian countries participated in the forum.
Among the participants of SPIEF-2024 – the leading Chinese automobile manufacturers and their Russian divisions were also widely represented. The high media interest for the event was evidenced by the number of journalists who covered the Forum events – more than 4216 people from 34 countries.
The global majority as priority
Now concerning the outlook. Indeed, the very successful holding of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this year confirmed both the key position of the forum itself on the world economic scene, as well as the strategic position of Russia as the country organizer of such a major international event. The number of participating countries, the foreign delegations composition in various areas of interaction, interesting discussions and exchanges of views, as well as confirmations of mutually beneficial projects – have once again completely destroyed the plans of the planetary minority represented by Western regimes – which have never been and will never be able to isolate our country, just as prohibit the countries of the world majority from being able to cooperate with Russia, in a bilateral or multilateral framework.
In addition, SPIEF-2024 represents a further confirmation of the fact that our country’s cooperation priorities concern precisely the global majority – the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. And in this sense, it is not a momentary trend, but rather long-term strategic orientations. There is and will be no going back. As for the West’s interests, even when theoretically the corresponding political regimes and economic structures will admit that economic cooperation with the Russian Federation is absolutely necessary for them – it will not only be difficult for them, but de facto impossible, to be able to compete with contemporary realities, realities which concern our country as well as all the representatives of the true international community.
The repercussions for the global minority
Honestly speaking, the fact that the Western minority, and primarily Brussels Europe, has cut off economic cooperation with Russia at the maximum, de facto by punishing itself and losing colossal opportunities, will have and has already having the most serious repercussions for Western interests on an entire global scale. Because today, for the global majority of humanity, one thing has become completely obvious: the total unreliability of the Western space as a partner, whatever the application areas of said partnership.
Yes, the non-Western world continues to do business with Western space. But at present, there is no question of any confidence towards the West. Everything is calculated in advance and taking into account only the maximum security for transactions on the part of economic operators from the non-Western global majority. Moreover, within the Western world, this is beginning to be understood without having the capacity do to anything about it. The lies, threats, pressure, disrespectful actions and rhetoric on the part of the Western minority, as well as the attempts to bring the world back to the dictatorship of the unipolar era – have played a very bad turn on the very instigator of all the said harmful actions, in other words – to the West. This represents precisely what the Western space and all the nostalgic elements of bygone unipolarity will have to live with and for a long time.
As for the global majority, successful and mutually beneficial partnerships and interactions will continue to develop in all possible formats and directions. In this sense, platforms like the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, as well as others, will fully promote this development, to the benefit of the interests of all contemporary multipolar world order supporters.
Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov, entrepreneur, political commentator, expert on African and Middle Eastern issues, exclusively for the internet journal “New Eastern Outlook”