Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman inaugurated the Qatar pavilion at the 24th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2021). According to the Qatari-Russian Center for Cooperation, more than 50 leading Qatari public, private sector entities are being represented at this Forum, amongst the largest business delegations to be formed for an external gathering at this level.
Minister of Transport and Communication H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister of Finance H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, and Minister of State for Energy Affairs H E Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi were present at the inauguration. Some 2,000 foreign participants from 53 nations are expected to visit SPIEF. Delegates from Britain, France, Italy, and other countries will also be attending the business event.
Investment projects will be one of the primary key points of the event. In light of the recent health crisis, the programme is expected to discuss healthcare systems and improvements to technologies in this field. Since Qatar officially recognised the Russian Federation on December 6, 1991, there have been mutual working visits by leaders of both countries as they continue to strengthen diplomatic engagements across several fields.
The SPIEF would be a platform to enhance the already robust cooperation between Qatar and Russia. The Qatari-Russian Business Council has improved the bilateral collaboration and cooperation and facilitated investment and partnership between both countries.
Qatari-Russian bilateral relations have recorded significant growth in recent years, with Qatari investment in Russia at $13bn across various sectors, including energy, infrastructure, and banking. Trade exchange between the two countries has consistently increased from $118m in 2012 to $202m in 2019 and now at $297m in 2020.
Besides the business opportunities the Forum presents, Qatar would also present a cultural programme that will reveal three large-scale projects representing the country’s historical traditions and contemporary art. All the activities will be held at different venues around St. Petersburg and open to the public.
The Mawaheb festival will reveal the musical culture of the Middle East and North Africa to the public; an exhibition at the Russian Museum of Ethnography will present the history of Qatar through unique artifacts, and the Qatar Film Days Festival will showcase the Qatari film industry. All three projects are organised by the Culture Creative Agency (CCA) under the Qatari-Russian Center for Cooperation. SPIEF will also discuss the most anticipated FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar. Both countries share a common interest with Russia being the last host nation of the football fiesta in 2018.
