LIVE UPDATES: St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Day 2

"At a time when global supply chains are under pressure, these business links [within BRICS] can create new and meaningful opportunities across all BRICS nations," Kumar said at a session on New Drivers of Business Partnership within BRICS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"Today, we also held a meeting with the head of the American Chamber of Commerce. A large number of US companies are present here. Representatives of other US companies that continue to operate in Russia were also in attendance. Therefore, this work is ongoing," Dmitriev said.

"Today only money transfers make the process more complicated, but despite this, trade has grown from 2020 to $3 billion. We hope that in the future trade between Russia and Saudi Arabia will increase to $10 billion," the official said.

"At present, we have 18 rare earth metal deposits on the state balance sheet. We have already issued 12 licenses, while six have yet to be allocated. As soon as investors come forward, Rosnedra [the Russian Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency] will promptly take all necessary steps to … organize auctions," Kozlov said during the session "Rare and Strategic: Sovereignty and International Cooperation in the Field of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals" at the SPIEF.

"Indonesia and the EAEU signed a Free Trade Agreement in December 2025. The agreement is now in the process of ratification. Once it enters into force, it can help advance our trade and investment relations," he said during an EAEU-ASEAN business dialogue at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The meeting with Minister Lavrov went very well. We exchanged all the latest information. And most importantly, we thanked the minister and the Russian government, as well as your President [Vladimir] Putin, for their support on our key issues," Popovic said, adding that "We also discussed issues and are grateful to Russia for its support regarding reliable gas supplies."

"We know that sanctions are pressure, first of all. During this period, European countries used the moment to take a place in the markets that we [previously] held. I can say that all the sanctions are unfair and they do not give any result, there are still ways to trade, time shows that this is a relic of the past. Once it could have produced results, but today, with such logistics, opportunities and, most importantly, the development of other countries, it makes it possible to open new partnerships," Popovic said.

"Many analysts and agencies have already lowered global economic growth for 2026 by 0.3% downward, but I think it may be higher if the conflict [in the Middle East] drags on," Novak said at the Global Energy Systems: How the World's Energy Sector Responds to Challenges and Risks session at the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"We discussed this yesterday with the Alternative for Germany party, and many Germans are already making direct calls: 'Let's restore Nord Stream 1 and 2,' because Germany cannot do without Russian gas ... Many countries want a diversified supply mix, and Russia plays an absolutely key role here ... Therefore, we see that Nord Stream 1 and 2 will likely be restored..." Dmitriev said at the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"Yes, I met [with representatives of Saudi Arabia]. We are currently planning a meeting with Prince Abdulaziz who is the Energy Minister. And, of course, Saudi Arabia's cooperation is extremely important... This is an example where we used to have not very good relations, but now we are at an absolutely powerful strategic partnership level," Dmitriev told reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"Therefore, of course, the sensible forces in Europe, in Germany, understand that the Nord Streams need to be restored, and we are already hearing echoes of such ideas and proposals," Dmitriev told reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"There is a constant dialogue, because the US side is trying to promote peace, the US side is voicing, including to the Ukrainian side, that it is necessary to embark on the path of peace, and not constant provocations and confrontations," Dmitriev told reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"There is a very good dialogue going on with Steve [Witkoff] and with Jared [Kushner]. We were talking yesterday. And the most important topic is economic cooperation, because we see that there are many joint economic initiatives that we can implement, and we are actively preparing them. We are preparing for the fact that we can jointly invest in various projects that are useful for both Russia and the United States," Dmitriev told reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"What I'd like to say is, many, many great ideas have been expressed around the table... many good ideas around the table," Cook said at the conclusion of the "Russia-US: A Dialogue of Cultures" event at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"As long as there is this message of dominance — that 'I’m exclusive, that I’m exceptional, that I know better than anyone else what’s needed, that I’m better at it than anyone else,' — we must have deterrents to cool them down…" Pankin at the session "'The World Disorder'. Is There Any Room for Diplomacy in Contemporary International Relations?" during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026 (SPIEF).

"Otherwise, there would be other means of destruction — not mass destruction in the classical sense, but global destruction," he said.

"Vietnam is interested, and work in this direction is actively underway. And our companies are cooperating with Vietnamese ones," Novak told reporters at the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).