Russia Open to the World - Conference and Expo
London, 11-14 November 2002

Almost three hundred years after the foundation of St. Petersburg, Peter the Great’s ‘Window to the West’, Russian politics and business was laid open for all at a wide-ranging conference in London on 11 November 2002, under the banner “Russia Open to the World.”

Organised by the Russian Federal Government and co-ordinated in London by the Russian Economic Forum, the one-day conference formed part of the programme of events marking the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. Keynote speakers included Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords; Ilya Klebanov, Russian Minister of Industry, Science & Technology; Viktor Cherkesov, Presidential Representative in the North West Region of the Russian Federation and Sir Brian Stewart, Chairman of Scottish & Newcastle. Lord Owen, former UK Foreign Secretary and currently Chairman of Yukos International, chaired the conference.

Taking place in Le Meridien Piccadilly hotel, in London’s West End, the conference provided an opportunity for an audience of 200 investors, commentators, experts and businesspeople with an active or potential business interest in the Russian market to hear from the people who are shaping political and economic reform in Putin’s Russia. As Russia’s voice in world affairs is becoming ever stronger, in both economic and political terms, there has never been a more appropriate time to gauge current business trends and the direction of Russia’s leadership – and events such as this are essential in bringing the key players together.

On the evening of 11th November, delegates at the event were treated to a rare chance to attend a high profile gala reception and concert, with performers from the world-renowned St. Petersburg-based Kirov Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, in the Barbican Centre in the City. The performance was staged exclusively for the ‘Russia Open to the World’ event, and the concert and dinner afterwards provided an excellent opportunity for networking with the event participants.