Latest news with #28thSt.PetersburgInternationalEconomicForum
Saba Yemen
13 hours ago
- Business
- Saba Yemen
Putin: NATO's plans to increase military budgets are irrational, pointless
Moscow - Saba: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that increasing defense spending by NATO countries will not benefit anyone and will create additional risks. Putin said during a meeting with heads of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, according to Sputnik News Agency: "If NATO countries want to increase their defense budgets further, that's their business, but it will not benefit anyone and will inevitably create new risks." Putin described NATO's plans to increase military spending as "irrational and pointless." Earlier, French media reported, citing unnamed diplomats, that "the main focus at the NATO summit in The Hague will not be on Ukraine, but on reaching an agreement that satisfies US President Donald Trump regarding increased defense spending among NATO member states." The NATO Summit is scheduled to be held in The Hague on June 24-25. Saint Petersburg, Russia, will host the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum from June 18-21, under the theme "Shared Values - The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Russian investment fund to cooperate with Chinese digital trade platform
MOSCOW, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Qifa, a Chinese-founded B2B digital trade platform operating across the Russia-China corridor, inked a strategic partnership on Wednesday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) to advance cross-border digital trade and expand bilateral commerce. The collaboration agreement, signed on the sidelines of the forum, underscores joint efforts to modernize trade processes through technological integration. "RDIF and Qifa, a Russia-China B2B digital trade platform, have agreed to partner in developing digital trade and scaling bilateral trade volumes," the fund stated in a press release. According to RDIF, the initiative will harness AI-driven solutions to streamline trade workflows, enhancing transparency and operational efficiency for businesses. This, in turn, is expected to drive product assortment expansion and cost optimization -- key levers for accelerating trade growth in line with bilateral strategic objectives. "China leads in trade volume with Russia, with a robust e-commerce ecosystem already in place. RDIF's focus on facilitating market access for Sino-Russian enterprises makes this partnership with Qifa an important step in elevating cross-border digital trade," said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF, in a statement. The 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum runs from June 18 to 21 this year, gathering delegates from over 100 countries and regions.
