At the Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, economic benefits for Eastern European countries resulting from cooperation with Russia were announced.

Cooperation with Russia offers economic benefits to Eastern European countries, while sanctions and border closures have a negative impact on individual countries. This was stated by Pavel Dognal, head of the Czech-Slovak Association for Trade and Cultural Cooperation, on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"Despite the complex socio-political background, countries in Eastern Europe cannot ignore the economic benefits that cooperation with the Russian Federation offers. I would say that the Czech Republic and Slovakia have been more negatively affected by the turbulence, border closures, and sanctions. Unfortunately, even today, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are losing a lot due to sanctions and the current situation. We can fix this!" said Dognal. According to him, Russia represents a huge market for Slovak and Czech products. This creates opportunities for them to increase exports and expand their businesses. He cited Slovak entrepreneurs who are interested in supplying their products to Russia and also organizing joint ventures, especially in the field of engineering.

Czech entrepreneurs are also actively seeking opportunities for cooperation with Russian regions, and these regions, in turn, offer a skilled workforce and a developed infrastructure, which is attractive for locating production facilities. Another option for cooperation that Pavel Dognal is considering is the creation of joint ventures. This would allow both countries to maintain and develop trade and economic relations even in the face of external pressures.

"All of this can be considered extremely interesting for businesses in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It seems to me that by starting a dialogue within a communication and trade platform and restarting joint cultural projects, we will be able to establish interaction and achieve a significant breakthrough in the cooperation of businesses in our countries in the near future!" said Pavel Dohnal. It should be noted that the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum began today. A large number of participants, over 20,000, from more than a hundred countries around the world gathered at the extensive event. You can also see and hear the heads of regional and international organizations, including APEC, CSTO, and CIS, on the forum's website. This year, the forum is being held under the motto: "Pragmatic dialogue is the path to a stable future."