Permanent Secretary Jari Gustafsson will represent Finland at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 6 June

Jari Gustafsson, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, will visit St. Petersburg on 5-6 June where he will represent Finland at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The economic forum will offer a good opportunity to meet Russian decision-makers and business leaders, promote Finland’s export efforts and support Finnish companies in Russia.

Finland and Russia have cooperated long in environmental issues, which provides a good basis for new cooperation possibilities in the field of circular economy and waste management solutions. In connection with this, Finland will organise a panel discussion at the forum, in which the Permanent Secretary will participate. The Russian participants include Sergei Ivanov, the President's Adviser on Environmental Issues, Dmitry Kobylkin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and Denis Butsayev, the manager of the national waste management operator.

During the trip, the Permanent Secretary will discuss topical issues on bilateral cooperation with Maxim Topilin, Minister for Labour and Social Protection, and possibly other ministers. In addition, he will meet representatives of Finnish companies operating in St. Petersburg in order to find out about the Russian market situation.    

The SPIEF is organised annually in May-June. The forum has traditionally attracted prestigious participants from Russia and abroad. President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, among others, will take part in the forum’s main panel discussion this year.  

Additional information about the Finnish-Russian panel discussion is available on the SPIEF website

Inquiries:
Mia Hurtta, Commercial Counsellor, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel.  +358 50 470 2512
Pia Sarivaara, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 477 4098