The Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry SPIEF 2026: an open-door platform for businesses to Africa and the world
Highlights of SPIEF 2026 included:
Agreement with the Roscongress Foundation and a Series of International Meetings took place on the first day of the forum
The delegation of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry began its work at SPIEF 2026 by signing an agreement with the Roscongress Foundation and holding a series of international meetings to expand foreign economic ties for Moscow businesses. The first day of the forum was intensive for the Chamber, combining official ceremonies and substantive negotiations with partners from African and Asian countries.
On June 3, the first day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026, the Union Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Roscongress Foundation signed a cooperation agreement. The document formalises the parties’ intention to develop long-term partnerships to promote Moscow’s investment, export, industrial, technological, scientific, educational, tourism, and cultural-humanitarian potential at both the Russian and international levels. The agreement provides for joint organization of trade fairs, congress and exhibition events, business missions, roadshows with investors, presentation sessions at international venues, as well as support for social, cultural, sports, and educational projects.
Commenting on the signing, President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Platonov noted that cooperation with the Roscongress Foundation opens up additional opportunities for Moscow businesses. “The Roscongress Foundation has built a unique international network of business ties and expert communications, and for Moscow businesses, this is a reliable navigator in the world of major forums and investment platforms. It is important for us that this agreement is not formal but practical: it opens up additional opportunities for Moscow companies to present their projects, find partners, and enter new markets at all key events of the Roscongress Foundation,” he emphasized. According to Vladimir Platonov, the partnership between the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Roscongress Foundation will become a long-term support infrastructure for capital entrepreneurs, allowing them to systematically use the platforms of SPIEF and other Foundation projects to promote the Moscow agenda – from industrial and technological cooperation to cultural-humanitarian initiatives and business education programs.
The international agenda on the first day of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s delegation at SPIEF 2026 began with meetings with the delegation of the Republic of Zimbabwe. On the sidelines of the forum, Vladimir Platonov held working negotiations with the Minister of Energy and Energy Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe, July Moyo, and the Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa. The talks discussed prospects for developing foreign economic ties between the business communities of Moscow and Zimbabwe, implementing joint projects in the fuel and energy complex, infrastructure and industrial cooperation, as well as preparing mutual business missions. Special attention was paid to accompanying entrepreneur delegations, preparing industry-specific presentations, and holding B2B meetings using the capabilities of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the business platforms of the Roscongress Foundation.
Vladimir Platonov noted the importance of working with African partners in the context of diversifying foreign economic ties for Moscow businesses. “Today, African countries are among the most dynamically developing partners for Russian companies. For the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it is fundamentally important not to limit ourselves to one-off contacts, but to build a sustainable system in which business missions, participation in forums, and expert exchanges logically complement each other and turn into concrete contracts and projects,” he stated following the dialogue with representatives of Zimbabwe.
Another international meeting on the first day of the forum was negotiations with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Genet Teshome Jirru. The discussion focused on expanding business contacts between Moscow companies and Ethiopian partners in the areas of industrial cooperation, logistics, the agro-industrial complex, and business education initiatives. Possibilities were considered for using the mechanisms of chambers of commerce and industry and the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry ‘s specialized commissions on foreign economic cooperation to provide targeted support to companies interested in entering the Ethiopian market, as well as organizing a specialized business mission to Addis Ababa and holding a presentation day for Ethiopian projects for the Moscow business community in Moscow.
As part of the international program on the first day of SPIEF 2026, Vladimir Platonov also held a series of meetings with representatives of business communities from India, Mongolia, Vietnam, and China. The negotiations focused on developing foreign economic ties, finding partners for joint projects in industry, transport, logistics, IT, and financial and service sectors, as well as the participation of companies from these countries in the business agenda of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and events organized with the support of the Roscongress Foundation. Formats for the participation of Indian and Mongolian companies in the Chamber’s events in Moscow, the preparation of thematic business missions and industry sessions at future forums, as well as opportunities for expert and advisory support for entrepreneurs from the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry were discussed.
Summing up the first day of work at the forum, the President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted the importance of SPIEF as a key federal platform for promoting the interests of Moscow entrepreneurs. “The first day of the forum showed how much in demand a systematic Moscow voice is in the international economic dialogue. We see great interest from partners in Africa and Asia in a substantive conversation about joint projects, and our task is to provide capital entrepreneurs with the most convenient and predictable route to these markets – from the first negotiations at SPIEF to signing contracts and launching real projects,” concluded Vladimir Platonov.
Polycarp Labah
Publisher & editor-in-chief @ Breaking News, Cameroon
