ISTANBUL, October 22. /TASS/. The Verona Eurasian Economic Forum, which opened Thursday, will help promote equal and mutually beneficial international cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his opening remarks delivered by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
The president noted that the forum’s agenda "is largely in tune with Russia’s Greater Eurasian Partnership initiative aimed at the promotion of dialogue between civilizations and the harmonious alignment of the potential of states and integration associations." "We expect that fruitful discussions at the forum will help foster such a model of equal and mutually beneficial international cooperation," Putin said.
The Russian president stressed that the forum "has fully proven its relevance" over the years, "providing excellent opportunities for direct, friendly and trust-based contacts." "Such meetings make it possible to discuss the broadest range of issues and to jointly consider ways to resolve them," he noted.
Putin described the theme of this year’s forum, Challenges of a Changing World and a Changing Economy, as particularly relevant, "especially given Eurasia’s leading role in the global economy," with its contribution to global GDP reaching almost two-thirds.