*The session in Doha on December 14 and 15 will take place as part of preparations for the SPIEF 2020, where Qatar will participate with 'guest country' status

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will hold a visiting session in Doha on December 14 and 15.

The session will take place as part of preparations for the SPIEF 2020, where Qatar will participate with “guest country” status.

The visiting session will take place on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, one of the biggest political and economic events in the Middle East.

“The SPIEF visiting session will take place for the first time on the sidelines of one of the largest congress events in the Middle East. This is an important step in the development of co-operation between Russia and Qatar. Trust should become the foundation of our partnership and joint development.

“This is the only way we can work together not only for the benefit of our economies, but also for the regions and the global economy as a whole. Collaboration at key business platforms will deepen relations between our countries in all areas of co-operation, attract investment to Russian companies, help search for and implement joint projects”, adviser to the Russian President and executive secretary of the SPIEF Organising Committee Anton Kobyakov said.

The Doha Forum business programme includes a joint panel session of the SPIEF and the Doha Forum, and an SPIEF visiting session titled "Russia-Qatar: Unlocking the Potential for Co-operation", which will be held in the format of a business lunch. The SPIEF session on the sidelines of the Doha Forum will be an important step towards the development of Russian-Qatari relations and will provide companies from both countries with a unique opportunity to present their projects to potential partners and establish business contacts.

The Roscongress Foundation and the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar (IPAQ) will also hold an agreement signing ceremony on the sidelines of the Forum. The agreement will focus on co-operation in priority investment and business projects.

As part of the agreement, the RK-Investment Foundation will accept applications and select promising business projects in order to further promote them, attract investments, and implement them.

During the Doha Forum, the Roscongress Foundation will present a new focus area – the RK-Venture Fund, which is being created to invest in innovative Russian projects. In addition, negotiations are planned with leading Qatari investors on the creation of a joint venture fund that will help attract investment for innovative Russian companies and promote their projects among major Qatari companies.