Kountoura to Represent Greece at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia

Alternate Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura and Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Mardas will represent the Greek Government at the 20th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) that will take place June 16-18 in Russia.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is an annual international conference dedicated to economic and business issues.

Over the last decade, SPIEF has become a leading international platform for the discussion of the key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets, and the world as a whole.

The forum will be held at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will deliver a speech at the opening of the forum. The keynote speakers at the 20th SPIEF will be the UN’s secretary general, Ban Ki Moon and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Ms Kountoura will deliver a speech on Thursday during the forum’s special session entitled “New Horizons in the Tourism Industry”. Other participants in the session will include the secretary general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai; the head of  Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency (Rostourism), Oleg Safonov; executives of the international tourism market; Russian government representatives; and Russian tourism professionals.

The Greek alternate tourism minister will also participate in SPIEF’s special session on tourism, organized by the financial newspaper Expert.

SPIEF attracts over 10,000 international and Russian participants, including government and business leaders from the emerging economic powers, as well as leading global voices from academia, the media, and civil society.

While in Russia, Minister Kountoura will also attend a special event organized with the support of the Greek Consulate in St. Petersburg and in cooperation with the Greek National Tourism Organization office in Russia. Representatives of the Russian government, productive entities, educational institutions and SMEs will be present at the event.