Indian Commerce Minister, Anand Sharma, will visit Russia from June 20-22 to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Sharma, who is on a 10-day visit to Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Belfast and London, is expected to meet foreign retail investors and address their concerns in setting up stores in India.
During his visit to St. Petersburg, Sharma is expected to hold discussions for a possible Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. He is also expected to hold talks on Russian participation in the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project.
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is held annually in Russia under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation. It is attended by heads of state and government, and political and business leaders from around the world. The SPIEF 2013 is expected to focus on issues related to the global financial systems, national debts, food security, and sustainable development of energy.
The Business 20 (B20) Summit – an offshoot of the G20 Summit – is also expected to be held as part of the Forum.