US official to represent country at Putin's economic forum for first time in eight years

Rodney Mims Cook Jr, chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, is to serve as keynote speaker at one of the sessions of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Source: Business Today

Details: Cook has implemented architectural and restoration projects in Russia, including in St Petersburg. The Roscongress Foundation, the forum's organiser and the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia will jointly hold two sessions during the forum: a Russia-US business dialogue and, for the first time, a Russia-US cultural dialogue focused on humanitarian engagement.

The business session, titled Pragmatism as Strategy: Business in the Era of a New Global Reality, returns for a second consecutive year following its debut at SPIEF 2025.

The forum's organisers stated that the previous session had generated considerable interest from both Russian and American companies exploring opportunities to resume commercial engagement.

The first-ever cultural session at SPIEF 2026, titled Russia-US: A Dialogue of Cultures, will also take place at the forum. The keynote speaker will be the aforementioned Rodney Mims Cook Jr, chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts.

The cultural dialogue is expected to reference historical examples of bilateral cooperation, including Russian ballet tours in the United States, "jazz diplomacy" and humanitarian exchanges of the 20th century.

Background: 

• On the night of 2-3 June, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, together with other units from the security and defence forces, struck the St Petersburg oil terminal.
• SPIEF opened on 3 June.

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