Premier Williams Attending Saint Petersburg
International Economic Forum in Russia

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, is travelling to Saint Petersburg, Russia to participate in the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) taking place from June 17-19. The Premier was invited to attend the forum by the Russian Federation.

SPIEF is a leading international business and economic event, held under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation. It attracts over 2,500 international and Russian participants representing government and business leaders from around the world, joined by leading voices from academia, media and civil society. The theme of this year's conference is Laying the Foundation for the Future Global Economy: Managing the Recovery.

"I look forward to participating in this premiere international event, which brings together business, political and academic leaders," said Premier Williams. "The list of participants is impressive and I am anxious not only to share the success story of our province, but to hear of best practices from around the world. We have seen more than ever during the recession over the past eighteen months just how integrated we are as a global community. I look forward to hearing a global perspective and applying it to the continued growth of Newfoundland and Labrador."

SPIEF gathers the world's leading decision makers to identify and deliberate the key challenges facing Russia, emerging markets and the world and to engage communities to find common purpose and establish frameworks to forge solutions. Topics of discussion will include challenges and opportunities in modernization, global energy and the future of the gas market, finance after the crisis, rethinking global economic trends, future generation developments and new models for education and training.

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2010 06 15                                                    3:15 p.m.