Baikal Economic Forum has closed

"We have all grounds for considering the work of the second Baikal Economic Forum successful," said Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Sergei Mironov on Thursday when speaking at a press conference on the results of the forum's work.

Mironov assessed the high level of the reports and discussions on a wide range of social and economic issues of Russia and its eastern regions as well as their cooperation with countries of the Asian Pacific region. Chairman of the Russian Federation Council also said that the Federation Council intended to coordinate the work of the two forums - the St. Petersburg and the Baikal ones, putting more detailed stresses. Sergei Mironov believes that in the future the St. Petersburg forum should acquire a humanitarian and general political nature, while the Baikal forum must strengthen its economic orientation by increasing the number of issues and participants, also from the European regions.

This time the forum gathered representatives from authorities' structures, scientists and businessmen from Russia's 50 regions and 10 foreign countries.

The next, third, Baikal Economic Forum is scheduled for 2004.