Delegations from a dozen foreign countries will examine prospects for Russia's economic cooperation with countries of Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim.
Ten panel discussions to be held as part of the Baikal Forum will deal with issues such as the management of natural reserves, investment and industrial policies, energy, and transportation. Local self-government, family and youth policies will also figure prominently on the agenda.
Business workshops and seminars (in association with Chinese, Japanese, French, and Finnish delegates), investment project presentations, and specialized shows are to be staged on the sidelines.
The Federation Council is expected to present an analytical report on the current state and outlook of Russia's economy.
"The forum's organizers define its objective as intellectual and program support for the increasingly important role of Siberia and the Far East in the development of the national economy and in world economic integration," Anatoly Kotsar, Director General of Sibexpocentr Co., has told RIA.
The Baikal Economic Forum is to be rounded off with a plenary session, September 26. Reports summarizing the event's proceedings will be submitted for consideration to bodies of the legislative and the executive branches of Russia's federal government.
