The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum kicks off in Russia on June 14. Often dubbed as the "Russian Davos," the forum is celebrating its 26 years amid geopolitical tensions. Liu Zhiqin, senior researcher at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China, said that even though the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has cast a geopolitical shadow over the forum, its launch has shown the importance of inclusiveness, cooperation, understanding and mutual benefit. Yury Tavrovsky, Sinologist and Russian political commentator, said that the conflict and the Western sanctions have shifted the Russian economy into a more self-sufficient model. Jim Rogers, international investor and author, said that the world economic ties have been increasingly disrupted by geopolitical tensions.