The XXIV Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) held on June 2-5, 2021 in Saint Petersburg, Russia had devoted a considerable part of its programme to the developments in Africa and the further strengthening of the Russia-Africa economic and business relations.

SPIEF became the first-ever large-scale international gathering with personal attendance since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with 13500 guests from 141 countries and more than 2000 international participants taking part.

African countries were represented by three (3) Prime-Ministers, 32 Ministers and many business communities, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as Investment Agencies.

Especially rich of content was a video-address by H.E. Mr. Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chairperson of the African Union. Substantial dialogue during the Russia-Africa business session took place with participation of top executives of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States and H.E. Mr. F. Ngrebada, Prime-Minister of the Central African Republic, H.E. Dr. E. Ngirente, Prime-Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Mr. R. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Heads of States, including Qatar and Austria in on-line format, Argentina, Brazil and Democratic Republic of the Congo with delivering a video address, as well as South Ossetia with personal attendance and more than a hundred of top-ranking foreign officials took part in the SPIEF.

Representatives of 1100 Russian and foreign companies attended the Forum. A total of 890 agreements worth about $59 billion, which was a new record in the history of the Forum, were signed. Representatives of more than 1000 Mass Media from 46 countries covered the events of the Forum.

The SPIEF made it possible to discuss a wide-range of the topical issues of the international agenda. Issues related to overcoming of the consequences of the pandemic, prospects for the post-crisis economic recovery, as well as further development of the global and the Russian national economy were in the focus of attention.

Most of the discussions made to the fore such themes as digitalization, green economy, climate change, small and medium business development, reforms of education, countering challenges in healthcare against the background of the pandemic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in his speech during the plenary session of the Forum pointed out the positive trends of the global economy, which had been reached due to the wide-scaled and well-timed decisions, as well as to the concern on inequality of the process of the global economic recovery.

President V. Putin noted the necessity of providing access to vaccines for all countries, and in this context highlighted Russia’s significant contribution to the joint efforts in countering coronavirus through development and release of four unique vaccines and affording an opportunity to start production of the vaccines in other countries.

Besides this, he warned against imposing politically motivated prohibitions on purchasing of the vaccines, which proved their absolute effectiveness and reliability, and proposed at the current stage of the post-crisis restoration to take up an opportunity for further development of multilateral projects, enhancing revival of the global economy, such as «North Stream-2» gas pipeline. He also confirmed that stringing of the pipeline is almost done.

The next XXV Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum is scheduled for the beginning of June 2022.