Putin Invites UK Businessmen To Take Part In St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday invited UK businesspeople to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which will be held in June

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2019) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday invited UK businesspeople to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which will be held in June.

"I would like to take this opportunity to invite businesspeople of the United Kingdom, who have always been presented at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, to take an active part in its work again this year. It [The forum] will be held on June 6-8," Putin said at a meeting with the UK business community in Moscow.

Putin also invited UK companies to engage in implementation of Russian national projects.

"Within the framework of national projects in Russia, it is planned to invest hundreds of billions of Dollars in the development of the most important sectors of the economy and social sphere. I mean, we are talking about investing hundreds of billions of dollars, and I am sure that your companies could participate in it. The market is large enough," Putin said.

Chief Executive of UK petroleum giant BP Robert Dudley said during Wednesday's meeting with the Russian president that UK companies were ready to engage in restoring confidence between Russia and the United Kingdom.

Dudley also noted that his company appreciated Russia's trust toward the firm in working with natural resources, praising BP's strategic partnership with Russia's Rosneft and expressing gratitude to Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin for facilitating such favorable conditions for cooperation.

Rosneft and BP have been cooperating in a number of areas, including exploration and development of oil and gas resources, and deliveries of oil products. During the Eurasian Economic Forum in Verona in October, Sechin said that BP was considering joining some of the Russian company's new projects. BP holds an almost 20 percent stake in Rosneft.

The SPIEF, held annually in Russia's second largest city of St. Petersburg, is a major global platform for communication between business representatives and the discussion of crucial economic issues. This year, the event will be held on June 6-8.