The arrest of Russian property in Belgium can change the agenda and the tone of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. Participants from the United States and Europe are going to get round this issue party, but the Russian government is likely to make a number of loud statements. Time seizure was not chosen by chance, experts say. News about Belgium distract people’s attention from the SPIEF and scare foreign investors from a rapprochement with Russia.
Russian institutions in Belgium received the evening of June 17 a resolution on the arrest in their possession the property of Russia. Given the list of bailiffs’ organizations are required within two weeks to declare at their disposal cash, property of the Russian Federation and the debt to the Russian Federation.
The list, according to “Interfax”, were almost all large banks registered in Belgium, organizations such as “Eurocontrol”, which regulates air traffic over Europe, and all the Russian establishment (except protected diplomatic immunity) up to the Archbishopric of Brussels and Belgium ROC, as well as representative of non-governmental organizations and the media.
The arrest of the property of Russian companies was made based on the decision of the arbitral tribunal in The Hague on July 18, 2014, which ruled to collect from Russia $ 50.2 billion in favor of the former shareholders of bankrupt oil company Yukos state.
However, later the TV channel “Rain” reported with reference to the release of the ECHR, that “information that the present actions are based on the failure of Belgium Russian court decision on the case of Yukos, is incorrect.” What is the claim-related stocks Belgian bailiffs – not specified.
Anyway, but the decision on seizure of property was made the day before the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the agenda and the tone of which is likely to vary considerably from -this the authorities in Belgium.
The main intrigue of the forum will be the relationship with foreign investors, the number of which has increased markedly in comparison with the 2014 year. SPIEF this year will be representatives of Boston Consulting Group, Catepillar, McKinsey & amp; Company, Lloyds, TPG. His activities in the framework of the forum conducted EY and Deutsche Bank. A number of top managers of large US and European companies will also come to the forum incognito, says “Gazeta.ru” a source in the organizing committee of the SPIEF
«Expectations from the Forum the most optimistic. No one plans to discuss the “horror”. The situation will be working. Russia remains an attractive investment area for those who have long invested in its economy “, – said the head of the Russian-American Business Council, David Yakobashvili.
Most likely, the foreign guests will try to diplomatically around this theme party, told “Gazeta.ru” a foreign forum member from one of the international investment companies.
«In the current environment, no one has any desire to go to the conflict and to exacerbate the debate. However, I think, from the representatives of the Russian establishment, we still hear a series of loud statements ».
So far, no Russian minister or federal official has not commented on the arrest of property in Belgium. However, before the Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that the Court’s judgment is “purely political.”
Do not articulated its position on this matter and in the Kremlin. Operational comment representative of Vladimir Putin could be obtained.
However, their attitude to what is happening Putin will announce on Friday in bilateral meetings or in the course of his speech at the SPIEF. So far, according to Bloomberg, in his speech, the Russian president is to assure citizens that the peak of the sanctions and the fall in oil prices has already passed, and the economic problems only strengthened Russia. It should also be declared co-financing of new projects with foreign companies and the establishment of a free trade area with China.
Focusing around Belgium creates a powerful wave of news that will become dominant in the media, distracting from the real deals to be concluded during the SPIEF, believes political analyst Igor YUSHKOV.
According to Yushkova, seizure of Russian assets is aimed at foreign companies to show that the Russian partners (namely state-owned companies) are not reliable and their property can be arrested at any moment.
However, the respondents “Gazetoy.Ru” representatives of Russian and foreign companies who were planning to sign contracts at SPIEF, unanimously declared that the situation in Belgium, their plans will not change. 
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