The Roscongress International Cooperation Area has now wrapped up its work at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Cooperation Area hosted 18 thematic events and more than 100 bilateral meetings and signed more than 30 new cooperation agreements, providing partners attending the Forum from Russia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere with an effective opportunity to engage in international dialogue.
This year’s Roscongress International Cooperation Area featured partner stands, meeting rooms, an open lounge, a presentation area, and a dedicated TV BRICS studio. Partnering with the Area were the Russia–ASEAN Business Council, the Russian-Thai Business Council, the TV BRICS International Media Network, and a joint stand uniting the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA), the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB), the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), and Air Tanzania.
“The Roscongress International Cooperation Area embodies our approach to international cooperation perfectly: direct dialogue yielding tangible results. We have created a functioning ecosystem for Russian businesses to engage with our regions and international partners in honest, productive communication right here, in ExpoForum pavilion E. Our sights are set on contracts, joint projects, and new markets. The Roscongress International Cooperation Area at SPIEF 2026 featured stands from the Russia–ASEAN Business Council, the Russian-Thai Business Council, the TV BRICS International Media Network, and a joint Tanzanian business stand: all trusted partners we’ve been working with for some time now. Next to them were national stands for Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the SPIEF 2026 guest country, Saudi Arabia which just further proves that Russia is open to equitable dialogue, and SPIEF is exactly the place where equitable dialogue is put to practical use,” Chairman of the Board, CEO of the Roscongress Foundation Alexander Stuglev said.
The Roscongress International Cooperation Area hosted 18 business events in the form of thematic dialogues and presentations on a wide range of topics (joint investment, industrial transformation, human capital development, cooperation within the EAEU, issues affecting Africa, cooperation between Russia, ASEAN countries, and China, and cultural initiatives, among others), cooperation agreement signing ceremonies, and industry-specific B2B meetings. The Roscongress International Cooperation Area drew special attention to Russia’s regions, promoting their economic and investment potential to the international community.
The Roscongress International Cooperation Area business events attracted speakers and participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, India, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Tanzania, Germany, Italy, and the USA, to name just a few.
The Russian-German Chamber of Commerce officially opened the doors to its new office on 3 June with a ceremony moderated by Chamber Chairman of the Board Matthias Schepp. The event was attended by Chairman of the Board, CEO of the Roscongress Foundation Alexander Stuglev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Denis Tyupyshev, and Managing Director of the Department of International Bilateral Cooperation of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Anna Solovyova. The event was a testament to the German business community’s abiding interest in the Russian market in the face of a complicated geopolitical situation.
The Roscongress International Cooperation Area’s youth agenda at SPIEF 2026 manifested itself in two exclusive TED Talks for participants of the SPIEF Academy and Point Junior projects delivered by American actor, film producer, screenwriter, film director, and Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for Russian-American Humanitarian Relations and Shared Cultural and Historical Heritage Steven Seagal and American actor, film producer, and Studio Mao President Stephen Mao.
The Roscongress Foundation signed more than 30 cooperation agreements at the Roscongress International Cooperation Area with Russian and international business associations, chambers of commerce, educational institutions, and development institutes as well as Russian regions.
A highlight came in the signing of an agreement between the Roscongress Foundation and the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) as part of the Russia–Tanzania Business Dialogue, attended by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The Roscongress International Cooperation Area at SPIEF 2026 also hosted a special ceremony decorating the Roscongress Foundation with Roskachestvo’s first ever Event Standard Certificate in recognition of the exacting quality of the Foundation’s convention and exhibition activities.
A TV BRICS studio was open in the Roscongress International Cooperation Area throughout the Forum, recording more than 25 interviews with SPIEF 2026 participants, including First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Daniyar Amangeldiev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Sberbank Alexander Vedyakhin, GITIS Rector Grigory Zaslavsky, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Philip Mshelbila, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat Eduardo Pedrosa, the Coordinating Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Indonesia Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and others.
Partners of the Roscongress International Cooperation Area were active throughout the Forum, holding negotiations and project presentations, introducing guests to promising opportunities for cooperation, and successfully promoting joint initiatives. The open lounge hosted planned and spontaneous business meetings for visitors from all over the world. More than 100 business meetings were held in the Roscongress International Cooperation Area in all.
The Roscongress International Cooperation Area also shone a light on the issues facing small and medium-sized businesses globally and hosted a meeting for Russian and international SMEs with approximately 60 participants from Russia, the UAE, China, India, Côte d’Ivoire, and Brazil. There were negotiations in the six sectors of agriculture, food, medicine and pharmaceuticals, technology, and artificial intelligence. Tours of the SPIEF 2026 exhibition space were organized for SME delegations, including foreign SMEs and Minister of Economy and Tourism of the UAE Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.
Government officials and representatives of international organizations and the business community who visited the Roscongress International Cooperation Area at SPIEF 2026 included ZimTrade CEO Allan Majuru, Zimbabwean Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Energy and Power Development of Zimbabwe July Moyo, Chair of the APEC 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting Chen Xu, Secretary General of OPEC Haitham Al Ghais, APEC Secretariat Executive Director Eduardo Pedrosa, Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Philip Mshelbila, Director of the Department for Partnership with Africa of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tatyana Dovgalenko, Minister of Economy and Development of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Abdallah O. Souleymane O. Cheikh-Sidia, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, among others.
The highlight of the Roscongress International Cooperation Area business programme was a meeting during which Roscongress Foundation executives had the opportunity to acquaint regional partners with the Roscongress International Partners Community, which seeks to transform the Foundation’s international partner network into a dynamic community based on trust and dedicated to mutually beneficial cooperation. On hand to open the meeting with words of welcome was Roscongress Foundation Chairman of the Board, CEO Alexander Stuglev. Roscongress Deputy CEO, Head of the Foundation’s International and Regional Cooperation Directorate Alexandra Ogneva spoke about the outcomes of joint projects in 2024–2025. Roscongress Foundation regional partners sharing their experiences included President of the Association Conoscere Eurasia Antonio Fallico, Chairman of the Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Russia Zhou Liqun, Director for Russia and the CIS at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Pankaj Singh, and Chairman of the Russia–ASEAN Business Council and the TV BRICS International Media Network Ivan Polyakov. Guest of Honour at the meeting was Director of the Department of Information and Press and Official Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mariya Zakharova.
“More than just some formal association, the Roscongres International Partners Community is a vibrant, open, flexible ecosystem built on trust, mutual interest, and shared aspirations. In 2024–2025, we worked with partners on more than 40 projects, organizing some 20 major business events in 16 countries – from Brazil and Indonesia to Thailand and Saudi Arabia. But it’s not the numbers that are most important, it’s the way we approach each community member. Some need help entering a regional market in Russia, some need help organizing a forum abroad, and some are looking for an opportunity to hold negotiations at one of our events. We donot deal in templates. We tailor collaboration to a partner’s specific needs. And that is why our community continues to grow stronger and stronger. We thank each and every one of you for your participation in SPIEF 2026 and look forward to meeting again on joint projects,” Roscongress Deputy CEO, Head of the Foundation’s International and Regional Cooperation Directorate, and Head of the project ‘Roscongress International Cooperation Area’ Alexandra Ogneva said.
The Roscongress Foundation’s international partners had a special contribution to make to the exciting SPIEF 2026 cultural programme, with the TV BRICS International Symphony Orchestra conducted by Artistic Director Mikhail Golikov performing on Palace Square in honour of the 20th anniversary of the BRICS. The orchestra was accompanied by Italian operatic tenor Alessandro Safina, whose performance was organized by the Association Conoscere Eurasia.
Source: SPIEF
