The international Global Experience and Russian Economy forum granted Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Petr Sumin the Russian Economic Leader Award-2006. According to the Governor’s press officer, the forum participants wanted to praise Mr. Sumin’s efforts to support the country’s stable economic development and improve the living standards.

The forum, created for learning about and sharing both global and Russian economic experience, has gained a lot of significance over the last few years as a new socio-political trend. It pays special attention to encouragement of successful politicians, public figures, and business executives.

The forum was set up in the early 90s with the support of the International Union of Economists, Russian Union of Employers and Manufacturers, and some social entities to become a new way of large-scale propagating of socio-economic expertise, supporting entrepreneurial activity in Russia, building social framework for employee (re)training, assessing governmental economic and financial projects and coming up with subsequent recommendations.

The workings of the forum are monitored by a committee made up of the President’s administration, representatives of the federal ministries, and prominent scientists and experts and headed by Chairman of Russia’s Audit Chamber Sergey Stepashin and Counselor to the President Gennadiy Troshev. The committee has been operating under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences.