Alexander Shokhin
President of the Russian Union
of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs
"The St Petersburg Forum has become a high profile event due to the attendance of the country's top officials and participation of respected contributors from the Russian and international business and expert communities. The forum also traditionally features informal meetings between the CIS leaders, and heads of state and government arrive to meet with the Russian president. Another tradition developed at the St Petersburg forum is a meeting between the Russian president and the heads of major foreign companies operating in Russia, which will also take place this year."
Bob Foresman
Deputy Chairman,
Renaissance Capital
"The Petersburg Forum is now the unrivaled event for the international elite to talk Russian business - there is nothing else like this. Over a few short days, I will have a chance to meet with all the top Russian businesspeople and government officials, plus some prominent foreign investors as well. On a personal note, I am looking forward to the world-class cultural events surrounding the conference and the beautiful sights that St. Petersburg offers this time of year."
Alexander Potyomkin
CEO of the MICEX
"Many issues on the agenda of the forum covering current problems and development opportunities will be considered in the light of the global financial crisis. It highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the Russian financial system. The time is now right to draft a mid-term development strategy for the financial market, in particular the exchange sector."
Alexander Izosimov
head of VimpelCom,
Russia's one of largest mobile phone operator:
To me the Forum is above all an educational event designed to position Russia and Russian business more adequately in the world. Being a major Russian company that sticks to international business standards, we certainly would like to see a change in the way international investors and potential partners see Russian business. We would like the international community to see Russia and Russian business as a transparent and predictable partner, which is impossible without a full and authentic idea of Russian potential and the possible risks. This will be the topic of the plenary session "SWOT: Analysis of the Russian Economy. Global Challenges and Opportunities until 2020" which I am planning to attend
Oleg Shigayev
President of Baltiisky Bank
"The latest developments on global financial markets have drawn close attention to banking and finance issues, which was also reflected in the Forum agenda, packed more than ever before. I will certainly attend the discussions devoted to the reasons and possible effects of the global financial crisis, and to Russia's banking sector. I am also planning to find out my colleagues' opinions at the roundtable discussion `First-rate service as a competitive edge', because Baltiisky bank primarily specializes in retail banking."
Igor Kostin
Head of Power Machines,
Russia's leading heavy machinery manufacturer
As machinery manufacturers, we are interested in the conference on the global players and arbiters in the energy market, especially concerning the issue of growing energy shortage. I believe that Russia can make up for the energy shortage, and also create energy backup banks for sustainable development.
Russian machinery producers that supply the energy sector, including Power Machines, can not only satisfy the needs of the Russian energy sector, but also rival global players on the global equipment market. We have unique production assets, technologies and invaluable experience for that.
Yevgeny Chichvarkin
chief executive of Euroset,
Russia's largest mobile handset retailer
"We hope that the issues Dmitry Medvedev addressed at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum this year lead legislative changes and and alleviation of the tax burden on business. I also hope these issues will be discussed at the St. Petersburg Forum."
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