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Organised by Russia’s Federation Council and the Interparliamentary Assembly of CIS member states, the Eurasian Women's Forum is the largest international platform where women leaders from all continents gather to discuss their role in the modern world and coordinate approaches to global issues.

Over 1,500 people from 126 nations are attending the forum this year. The 2024 EAWF is themed Women for Strengthening Trust and Global Cooperation.

The plenary session of the fourth Eurasian Women's Forum is held at the Tauride Palace in St Petersburg.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ladies and gentlemen – I see that there are also men in this room,

Friends,

I extend my warm greetings to the participants and guests of the fourth Eurasian Women's Forum. Welcome to Russia and to St Petersburg.

Your forum is one of the most highly respected international platforms demonstrating the potential and capabilities of modern women and their truly colossal role in virtually all spheres of life.

I would like to emphasise that your meetings reflect on the most crucial aspects of modern development and promote the ideas of unity for sustainable development and universal security. This is more important now than ever, and this is what millions of people across all continents desire. Humanity is facing extremely complicated issues, which can only be resolved together and based on respect for each other’s interests.

The previous forums paved the way for many concrete initiatives, including stronger interaction within the framework of BRICS, APEC and W20. Incidentally, we have just now discussed these issues with the President of Brazil. I bring you best regards from Brazil.

I am convinced that women’s commitment to the ideas of cooperation and peace has brought success and popularity to your forum. Each time, it brings together greater numbers of participants. This year, female leaders from 126 countries came to St Petersburg. Additionally, multimillion online audiences have joined the discussions focusing on a variety of sensitive topics.

Delegations from all Russian regions which represent our multi-ethnic nation, our rich culture and centuries-old traditions are attending this forum as well. Russian women bring to light the soul of Russia, its beauty, appeal, warmth, graciousness, and magnanimity.

The forum provides an opportunity to show the broad international female community that Russia is an open and hospitable country that appreciates dialogue, trust, and friendship, and that we respect the diversity and uniqueness of other countries and peoples.

The great interest in the Eurasian Women’s Forum is also grounded in the fact that its agenda transcends the typical discussion of women’s role in society. The forum brings together accomplished women who have achieved top results in their professional careers. Your experience in creative, managerial, intellectual, humanitarian, and educational activities undoubtedly matters a lot for billions of people worldwide, which fact made this forum a global platform for developing proposals to address the most pressing issues.

The forum’s already high standing continues to rise. Your voice is heard, and governments around the world heed it. Your recommendations are taken into consideration by major international organisations.

To reiterate, this participation and energetic work are crucial if we want to build a multipolar, just, and genuinely free world. Everyone among us shares these ideas and does everything possible to shape a new progressive global space.

This forum is devoted to matters of trust and global cooperation. As always, the female eye has captured the most important matters. Humanity is in need of a robust foundation of trust, openness, mutual understanding, and contacts across various fields in order to be able to address challenging social issues, to ensure economic prosperity and technological development, and to overcome poverty, inequality, and diseases.

Most importantly, to be able to develop equal indivisible security principles that every country needs. For many years now, Russia has been urging the world to unite in order to discuss and to adopt such principles. I am convinced that you are supportive of our initiatives and will promote them in your respective countries.

Speaking before an audience of female leaders from around the world, I would be remiss not to recognise the immense contribution that Russian women are making towards achieving our national development goals. More often than not, they drive the efforts to carry out projects that are critically important for improving the quality of life and standards of living in our country, supporting families, protecting their interests, and, more broadly, upholding our traditional values.

I would like to take this opportunity and thank all women of Russia for their work for the good of society and their incredible energy of creation. I am confident that heads of states that are represented at the forum share my sentiments and can express gratitude to women from their respective countries, because life has provided us with compelling evidence that progress, well-being, and harmony which are mandatory pillars of a truly prosperous world cannot be achieved without women.

Friends,

Russia is traditionally respectful of women. In this regard, our state policy relies on the National Strategy of Action in the Interests of Women. Several initiatives have been put forward towards this end, and proper conditions are being created for women to succeed professionally while remaining guardians of the hearth and lynchpins of large families with many children.

We know that combining these roles is a challenge, but our women cope with it and, despite being confronted with rigorous workloads, they manage to remain beautiful, caring, and charming ladies. They possess a secret that men are unable to fathom.

Here is what I would like to add to this. Women in Russia work in almost all fields. Female entrepreneurship is making wide strides. Last year alone, the number of female entrepreneurs grew by almost a third to six million women now running their own businesses in Russia.

In every field of choice, women are highly responsible operators who strive to discover the truth of the matter they are dealing with, to think outside the box, and to take every nuance into consideration when making decisions.

I wish productive work to the participants and guests of the forum. I am convinced that the 4^th Eurasian Women’s Forum will be a success and bring good results, give rise to new ideas and projects, and boost cooperation and mutual understanding on our planet.

I wish you good health and all the best. I wish you success for the benefit of peace, creation, and progress.

Thank you for your time.

I hope you will have the chance to get to know St Petersburg.

Thank you very much. All the best!

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