EEC Minister for Trade Andrey Slepnev opened and moderated the session Trade in Turbulent Times at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026, arguing that trade tools increasingly serve as instruments of policy, geopolitics and industrial transformation. Source: Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
He said turbulence is visible on several fronts at once: free trade and globalisation, mercantilism and protectionism, and regionalism represented by the EAEU, the SCO and BRICS are all advancing in parallel. Logistics routes and technology are also shifting, and each country must decide quickly where it stands in the global economy.
Panellists discussed the future of the multilateral trading system, the role of international groupings, responses to protectionism, regionalism and expansion by major economies, and the impact of climate policy and sanctions. Russian Deputy Prime Minister and EEC Council member Alexey Overchuk joined representatives of Mongolia, Serbia and India — EAEU partners under free trade agreements.
At a separate session on cross-border e-commerce, Slepnev said digital trade is a core driver of change rather than a side issue. He noted that every EAEU free trade agreement includes e-commerce chapters and that domestic platforms and marketplaces are becoming a full channel for businesses to reach foreign markets, including branded agri-food products.
