SPIEF 2026 Included Russia-Cuba Business Dialogue, Until It Did Not. Now DPM One Of Seven Speakers In 75-Minute Russia-Latin America Business Dialogue. Ignominious Moment? — U.S.
The currently available official program for SPIEF 2026 does not include a Russia-Cuba Business Dialogue. Deputy Prime Minister Fraga is listed as one of seven (7) speakers in this one hour and fifteen-minute session:
3 June 2026
17:00–18:15
Business Dialogue
Russia-Latin America
“Interregional ties are playing an increasingly important role today amidst growing geopolitical instability. Such ties serve as a tool that complements traditional diplomacy and interstate relations and makes foreign policy more attuned to real-world needs. Today, St. Petersburg is one of the leaders in terms of fostering international cooperation with the nations of Latin America. The city’s vast potential in such sectors as industry, port infrastructure, trade, transport, healthcare, and culture creates ample opportunities to intensify the international dialogue with its counterparts across Latin America. What do these bridges of cooperation between Russia’s northern capital and the countries of Latin America look like? How does St. Petersburg’s experience help reinforce the ties between Russia and Latin America? What new mechanisms and instruments for bilateral relations can St. Petersburg offer its Latin American partners?
Moderator:
• Sergey Brilev, President, The Global Energy Association
Speakers:
• Carmen Caballero, President, ProColombia
• Luis Alfredo Fratti Silveira, Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
• Eugene Grigoriev, Member of the Government of St. Petersburg – Chairman of the Committee on External Relations of St. Petersburg
• Dmitry Khandoga, Head of Department, Gazprom; General Director, Gazprom Export
• Sergey Machekhin, Deputy General Director for Project Engineering, Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, RusHydro
• Igor Maksimtsev, Rector, Saint Petersburg State University of Economics; Honorary Consul of the Republic of Chile in Saint Petersburg
• Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of the Republic of Cuba
Front row participants:
• Alexander Shchetinin, Director of the Latin American Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
• Andrey Zhukovsky, Leading Researcher, Institute of Regional Economy and Interbudgetary Relations, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation”
From the government of the Russian Federation: “The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is a unique event in the world of business and economics. SPIEF has been held since 1997, and since 2006, it has been held under the auspices of the President of the Russian Federation, who has also attended each event.”
SPIEF is where President Putin seeks to demonstrate the Russian Federation remains a global player and countries want to engage with it. SPIEF is signage: The Russian Federation is open for business and business is good.
However, President Putin has delivered a different message to Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba (2019-2028) and to the Diaz-Canel-Valdes Mesa Administration (2019-2028).
If the Republic of Cuba is a historical, necessary, and strategic relationship, then why is the defense of that relationship by the government of the Russian Federation so brittle and absent of resolve?
Because the government of the Republic of Cuba continues to avoid implementing decisions that would foster its attractiveness rather than continue to embrace anachronistic ideals that depend solely upon the resources of others to function.