08/06/2026
Embassy of Russia to Malta Press Release
🇷🇺 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺
The 29th St Petersburg International Economic Forum ( ) was held in St Petersburg on 3–6 June 2026, reaffirming its status as one of the leading international platforms for dialogue on global economic and political developments.
The forum brought together representatives of governments, business communities, international organisations, expert circles and media from dozens of countries. Discussions focused on the transformation of the global economy, technological development, energy security, international trade, logistics and investment cooperation.
🎤 The central event of the forum was the plenary session featuring President Vladimir Putin.
In his address, President Putin stated that the world is undergoing a profound transformation of the global development paradigm, accompanied by the emergence of new centres of economic growth and a more multipolar international economic system.
Among the key messages highlighted by the Russian leader:
🔹 BRICS countries now account for almost half of global GDP growth, while the relative contribution of the G7 continues to decline;
🔹 sanctions and the freezing of Russian assets have accelerated the search for alternative financial mechanisms and reduced confidence in Western financial infrastructure;
🔹 technological sovereignty is becoming a critical factor for sustainable development, while countries lacking their own technological ecosystems risk becoming dependent on external digital platforms;
🔹 Russia views current global changes not only as challenges but also as opportunities to expand international partnerships, access new markets and develop independent technological solutions.
🌍 During the discussion following the plenary session, President Putin also addressed a range of international issues, including Ukraine, relations with the United States, cooperation with China and India, and developments in the Middle East.
🤝 On the sidelines of SPIEF, President Putin met with Vice President of the People’s Republic of China Han Zheng. The parties reaffirmed the unprecedented level of Russia-China relations and discussed further expansion of cooperation in energy, industry, transport, logistics, agriculture, nuclear energy, space exploration and artificial intelligence.
📈 Overall, SPIEF 2026 demonstrated the growing role of non-Western centres of economic growth and confirmed Russia’s focus on strengthening cooperation with partners across Eurasia, the Global South and BRICS countries.