The 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF)

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1. Philosophy and Geopolitics of a Multipolar World - SPIEF 2024

   

   The philosophy of multipolarity represents a fundamentally new approach to international politics, where there is no hegemon and no single system of universal values. Instead, it emphasizes the need to consider the philosophical foundations and traditional values of all civilizations involved in the process. The roundtable will include representatives of Western civilization who condemn and reject globalism, hegemony, and the unilateral dictatorship of the West. These so-called Western civilizational dissidents sharply criticize the direction taken by contemporary Western globalist elites. What contributions do the Chinese, Indian, Russian, Islamic, African, and Latin American civilizations make to the development of a multipolar philosophy? Is an alternative West possible? What prospects does the inter-civilizational dialogue among BRICS countries open for the development of international relations? What are the prospects for the de-dollarization of the world economy? What role do infrastructure projects, such as the International North–South Transport Corridor, play in strengthening economic ties between Eurasian countries? How might Russophiles influence the formation of a multipolar world order?

   Moderator

   — Alexander Dugin, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Multipolarity Forum; Director, Ivan Ilyin Higher Political School

   Panellists

   — Atul Aneja, International Relations Specialist, Editor of The Hindu

   — Zeinab Al SAFFAR , Bilingual TV Personality, Writer & Scholar, MSTF Ambassador, Islam, Geopolitics & Multipolarity Reader

   — Zhang Weiwei, Professor, Fudan University; director of the Chinese Institute

   — Maria Zakharova, Director, Department of Information and the Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

   — Konstantin Malofeev, Head, Tsargrad Foundation

   — Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, Chairman, International Russophile Movement; Member of Parliament, Chairman of Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, National Assembly of South Africa

   — Pepe Escobar, Geopolitician, Journalist, Specialist in Global Economics and International Relations

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2. The Cultural Basis Of Brics. Can Brics Become A Common Cultural Market? - SPIEF 2024

   

   This panel discussion brings together esteemed experts and thought leaders to discuss the intersection of culture, economics, and international relations within the BRICS framework.

   Moderator

   — Dmitry Kiseliev, General Director, Media Group "Rossiya Segodnya"

   Panellists

   — Konstantin Abramov, General Director, All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center Foundation (VTsIOM); Chairman, Public Council under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation

   —  Ahmed Mohamed Ali Elsayed, Researcher, Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies
   —  Purnima Anand, President, BRICS International Forum
   —  Kirill Babaev, Director, Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences; President, National Coordinating Center for International Business Cooperation
   —  Alexander Dugin, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Multipolarity Forum; Director, Ivan Ilyin Higher Political School
   —  Jairo Alfonso Lugo Ocando, Dean of College of Communication, University of Sharjah
   —  Zahra Mohammadi, Head of the Russian Center, University of Tehran
   —  Samson Mekonnen Hailu, Vice-President, Addis Ababa University

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3. Polycentricity: The Norm Of A Future World Without Colonies And Hegemons - SPIEF 2024

   

   The Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation includes, among its priority areas of international activity, the formation of a just and sustainable world order. This includes countering US dominance and creating conditions for states to abandon neo-colonial and hegemonic ambitions. In the context of a fundamental transformation of the architecture of international relations, an increasing number of states are openly opposing the unjust policies of the United States, its allies, and Western-controlled international organizations. Formats of interstate cooperation outside Western-centered structures are gaining strength, primarily BRICS, SCO, CIS, CSTO, CICA, and the African Union. The Non-Aligned Movement has found a new resonance, and a Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations has been established on the UN platform. At the same time, the West is not giving up its attempts to discredit the processes of sovereignty and preserve its elusive advantages by resorting to illegitimate economic sanctions, open interference in internal affairs, and other methods of pressure. An integral element of neo-colonialism is the behavioural attitudes disseminated by the collective West aimed at destroying traditional spiritual and moral values. What will the new multipolar world order and Russia's place in it be? On what principles will the polycentric system of international relations be built? What will be the main centres of power? What is the general approach to defining neo-colonialism and developing methods to counter such practices? Why should our country play a unifying role in accelerating the transition to a more equitable world order? What is the future for the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America in this new order?

   Moderator

   — Alexander Gurnov, Journalist, TV presenter; Political Observer, RT TV channel

   Panellists

   — Sergey Glazyev, Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics, Eurasian Economic Commission

   — Maria Zakharova, Director, Department of Information and the Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

   — Konstantin Malofeev, Head, Tsargrad Foundation

   — Alexey Maslov, Director, Institute of Asian and African Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University
   Vincent Meriton, Chairperson, Seychelles-Russia Friendship Association

   — Aleksey Pushkov, Chairman of the Commission of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Information Policy and Cooperation with the Media; Senator of the Russian Federation

   Front row participants

   — Mikhail Kurakin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, The International Affairs Magazine; Member of the Union of Journalists of Russia

   — Alexey Tsydenov, Head of the Republic of Buryatia

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4. EAEU – ASEAN - SPIEF 2024

   

   As the world economic architecture transforms amidst the volatility of global geopolitics, it becomes imperative to seek out and implement fundamentally new approaches to trade and economic cooperation. ASEAN is one of the priority areas of the EAEU’s international activities, as evidenced by the ongoing cooperation programme between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the ASEAN Secretariat until 2025. Deepening the dialogue between the business communities of integration associations makes it possible to harness the untapped potential of interaction between member countries. This can increase the overall adaptability of economies to external challenges and establish a trajectory for sustainable, long-term development. In the current environment, the primary task for the EAEU and ASEAN is to pinpoint areas of mutual economic reinforcement among member countries of integration associations. These areas include digitalization, energy efficiency, food security, transportation and logistics, finance, and tourism. What trends have been observed in the development of dialogue between the business communities of EAEU and ASEAN countries? In which areas of the economy are the effects of the integration efforts of the EAEU and ASEAN most noticeable? Which projects, including those in digitalization, transport and logistics, hold the most promise for enhancing trade and economic connections among the member states of both associations?

   Moderator

   — Ivan Polyakov, Chairman, Russia–ASEAN Business Council

   Panellists

   — Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia, Governor of the Province of Cebu of the Republic of Philippines

   — Vera Gezerdava, Deputy General Director, VSK

   —  Sergey Glazyev, Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics, Eurasian Economic Commission

   —  Kan Zaw, Union Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

   — Didit Ratam, Head of the Bilateral Committee for Russia, Georgia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN)

   —  Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General, ASEAN

   — Ivan Timofeev, Chief Executive Officer, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC)

   —  Wan Fayhsal, Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Malaysia

    

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5. The Greater Eurasian Partnership As A New Pole Of Growth: Potential And Prospects - SPIEF 2024

   

   Amidst the current geopolitical confrontation and attempts to destabilize global supply chains, there is growing demand for reliable, mutually beneficial, and equitable forms of collaboration. These processes are prompting Eurasian states to find new forms and methods of economic cooperation, primarily in the financial, economic, transport, and logistics sectors. In this sense, Russia’s initiative to form the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) is more important than ever. The GEP is a civilizational project whose main idea is to organize a common space based on voluntary principles without outside interference or pressure. The project is designed to help create favourable conditions in the Eurasian states for progressive sustainable development, more effective industrial relations, and long-term economic growth. Can the Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP) become a non-discriminatory alternative to Western models of relations? What role do the Eurasian Economic Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations play in the dynamics of the region’s integration and what is their potential? How could the integration experience of Eurasia’s leading economies be used to promote the GEP? How complementary is the transport, logistics, energy, and payment infrastructure of regional players? How interconnected are they and what priorities can be highlighted when forming the GEP? Will the GEP be able to build on and enhance the scientific and technological potential of Eurasian states, including with regard to sustainable development?

   Moderator

   — Victoria Panova, Vice-Rector, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Director, Center “Expert Council on the Participation of the Russian Federation in the BRICS Association”

   Panellists

   — Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

   — Sergey Glazyev, Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics, Eurasian Economic Commission

   — Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots

   — Karin Kneissl, Head, Center G.O.R.K.I. (Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues) SPbU; Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria (2017–2019)

   — Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

   — Alexander Pankin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

   — Nenad Popovic, Minister Without Portfolio, Government of the Republic of Serbia

   — Khan Sohail, Deputy Secretary General, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

   — Abdul Umari, Acting Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

   — Ilan Shor, Head of Political Bloc Victory, Cultural and Educational Center of Moldova

   — Alexander Shokhin, President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

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6. Requiem For Europe: A New Era Of International Cooperation- SPIEF 2024

   

   As the world order rapidly transitions from the hegemony of the United States and its satellites to a fair polycentric world, Europe is increasingly slipping off to the margins of global processes. Given the crisis of trust in US-centric institutions, norms, and standards, the reasonable international majority will have to create new mechanisms to regulate political and business processes. Countries interested in creating a world that is just and equal for all face many challenges, including restoring the role of multilateral institutions of international cooperation and universal rules of law. This process will inevitably be complicated by opposition from the US and its Western allies, who do not wish to lose their dominant role in international relations. However, their confrontational policy will become increasingly irrelevant as independent centres of world development strengthen. The current generation is no longer ready to tolerate inequality and limited opportunities and is ready to put up a united front in order to protect the national interests of their countries, universal and traditional spiritual and moral values, and cooperation without borders. What factors are influencing international life today and what should be done to ensure mutual respect and constructive interaction with foreign partners as well as the consideration of their interests? What role does the current generation play in building a new world order?

   Moderator

   — Daniil Bisslinger, Director General, Directorate of the World Youth Festival

   Panellists

   — Khalid Al Mulla, Head of Research and Development, Al Mulla Group

   — Vicente Barrientos, Chairman (President), Coordination Council of the Joint Center for Business Cooperation "BRICS"

   — Igor Dodon, Chairman, Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova

   — Maria Zakharova, Director, Department of Information and the Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

   — Karin Kneissl, Head, Center G.O.R.K.I. (Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues) SPbU; Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria (2017–2019)

   — Sergei Pospelov, Executive Secretary, Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization

   — Nimnual Pyewtchogngam, Chairman, Committee of the Joint International Chamber of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand

   — Thumelo Ramaphosa, CEO, Studex Group

   — Kirill Shamalov, CEO, Ladoga Menedzhment

   — Kristofer Duglas Emms, Head of Brokerage Division, LM Investments

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7. International and National Experiences of Artificial Intelligence Regulation: Best Practices - SPIEF 2024

   

   Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are actively penetrating all aspects of our lives. The use of AI not only creates new opportunities, but poses serious risks as well. One major challenge is the monopolization of advanced developments in AI, as well as its regulation by Western states and their corporations. AI systems have enormous potential to manipulate human behaviour, and their autonomy is unprecedented compared with existing machines and information and communications technologies. The complexity of self-learning algorithms creates difficulties in monitoring the consistency of the quality of the functions they perform. Such risks have resulted in numerous initiatives to regulate AI, both nationally and internationally, with very different goals in mind: while the global majority seeks to gain non-discriminatory access to new technologies and bridge the digital divide, the collective West is trying to consolidate its monopoly position. How can we overcome the West’s technological monopoly of AI? What kind of AI regulation do we need? What new formats of international interaction are needed in this regard? What kind of international legal regulation of the development and use of AI is in the interests of Russian business? What Russian developments in the regulation of AI would be advisable to promote in the international arena? What are the interests of various global players in the international regulation of AI? What unique experience does Russia have in this area?

   Moderator

   — Andrey Neznamov, Managing Director – Head of AI Regulation Center, Sberbank

   Panellists

   — Igor Ashmanov, General Director, Kribrum; Managing Partner, Ashmanov and Partners; Member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights

   — Vadim Glushchenko, Director, Center for Global IT-Cooperation

   — Maria Zakharova, Director, Department of Information and the Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

   — Alexander Krainov, Director for Development of Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Yandex

   — Tatyana Matveeva, Head of the Presidential Directorate for the Development of Information and Communication Technology and Communication Infrastructure of the Russian Federation

   — Alexander Khinshtein, Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications

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8. Speech by Alexander Dugin at the session: The Cultural Basis of BRICS. Can BRICS Become a Common Cultural Market? - SPIEF 2024

   

   Alexander Dugin, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Multipolarity Forum; Director, Ivan Ilyin Higher Political School

9. Opening speech by Alexander Dugin in the session: ‘Philosophy and Geopolitics of a Multipolar World’ at SPIEF 2024

   

   The philosopher and political scientist Alexander Dugin begins the Philosophy and Geopolitics of a Multipolar World session, that occurred on 6 June, at SPIEF 2024.