IRNA - The 21st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2017) opened late on Thursday in a ceremony attended by Chairman of Iran-Russia Joint Economic Commission Mahmoud Vaezi.


Vaezi, also Minister of Communications and Information Technology, is heading the Iranian delegation in the three-day event.

Deputy Minister of Petroleum for International Affairs and Trading Amir-Hossein Zamaninia, Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Mohammad Khoddadi and Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mahdi Sanaei also attended the SPIEF 2017 public and special panels.

Holding talks with the officials and heads of the other countries� delegations and explaining Iran�s views on the event�s topics are also on the Iranian officials� agenda.

Over 12,000 people including the incumbent and former senior officials of the participating countries and the UN representative are also present in the ongoing event.

Reviewing major international economic and social challenges, Middle East situation, regional crises, future of the world and relations among the countries are of major topics to be discussed in the meeting, which is to be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vaezi arrived in the Russian cultural capital on Thursday to attend the 21st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2017).