ISTANBUL, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum kicked off here on Thursday, bringing together policymakers, company leaders, and scholars from Europe and Asia.
Themed "Challenges of a Changing World and a Changing Economy" this year, the forum is devoted to major global issues such as energy, geopolitics and transportation.
In a congratulatory letter to the forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted Eurasia's leading role in the global economy, noting that the vast continent possesses immense manufacturing capabilities.
The Russian president said he hopes the forum could align the participants' capabilities in a harmonious way, and "help bring about a model of equal, mutually beneficial international cooperation."
Antonio Fallico, president of the Conoscere Eurasia Association, the forum's organizer, said the forum's goal is to contribute to economic and social development, especially amid conflicts currently unfolding on the international stage.
Meanwhile, Kirill Dmitriev, Russian special presidential envoy, said on the sidelines of the forum that a Russia-U.S.-Germany trilateral economic forum will be held in Russia in 2027.
Established in 2007 in Verona, Italy, the two-day forum aims to foster economic and cultural ties across Eurasia. ■
