MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) enables businesses to conduct a maximum number of negotiations, which would normally require at least six months to arrange, Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the Forum's Organizing Committee, said in an interview with TASS ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

He noted that SPIEF and the EEF serve as vital platforms for dialogue between business and government – and these are by no means empty words.

"As a rule, an entrepreneur can easily meet the right official or minister at the forum and talk to them. Even if it is on the go, they can still draw attention to their specific question, proposal, or problem. Often, in just a few days at SPIEF or the EEF, people manage to hold as many useful meetings as they would not normally achieve in six months in their regular lives, even in Moscow," Kobyakov said.

He also added that companies have the opportunity to showcase their products and raise brand awareness by setting up exhibition stands.

The SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the general media partner of the forum.