The President of Russia Invited French Business Leaders to Participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2010

The French Minister for the Economy, Industry, and Employment Confirmed Interest in Participation

MOSCOW, March 2, 2010 - A forum of French and Russian business leaders took place on
March 2, 2010 in Paris, as part of the President of Russia's state visit to
France. The organizers of the forum were the Russian Union of Industrialists
and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) and the Movement of French Enterprises (MEDEF). The
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) also assisted in
organizing the forum.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev participated in the meeting,
where he invited the French business community to participate in SPIEF 2010.

Christine Lagarde, the French Minister for the Economy,
Industry, and Employment, confirmed France's interest in participating in
SPIEF 2010 as a high-level delegation.

Alexander Shokhin, President of the RSPP, and Alexander
Zhukov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, mentioned the St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum in their speeches. Zhukov stated that
"France is a major guest at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum,"
since this is a principal economic event of the Year of France in Russia.

In the words of the management of Alstom, the French
engineering group, SPIEF 2009 enhanced the development of economic relations
between Alstom and Gazprom. An agreement signed between the two companies at
that time is currently being successfully implemented.

More than 200 entrepreneurs from France and Russia
participated in the business leaders' forum. Every speech emphasized the
long-term character of the cooperation between Russia and France in
economics, politics, and culture. A wide range of questions were examined at
the forum, including basic ones such as investment and banking cooperation,
the electrical energy industry and energy efficiency, cooperation in the
aerospace and gas industries, transport, auto manufacture, and
telecommunications, as well as in the social sphere.

Russian President Medvedev noted that the "Partnership for
Modernization in Russia" initiative, proposed by him in the fall of 2009 at
the Russia-EU summit in Stockholm, would be ready in time for the St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum 2010. As Dmitry Medvedev hopes, this
project will "give the Russian economy the ability to adapt more quickly to
modern life."

Both sides agreed that the dialogue between Russia and France
would continue at SPIEF 2010.

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Official Web-site:
www.forumspb.com. +7-812-680-00-00, information@forumspb.com

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Official Web-site: www.forumspb.com. +7-812-680-00-00, information at forumspb.com