Co-ops were on the agenda at a high-level International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. The event brought together over 5,000 participants from 66 countries, including heads of state, government officials, executives, experts and civil society representatives.
Co-operatives were represented by Petar Stefanov, president of CCW and CCU-Bulgaria, as well as Alliance and Euro Coop board member, who was a guest speaker at the 2017 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
For the first time this year the forum featured a panel on the co-operative movement as a driver of socioeconomic development. Speaking in the session, Mr Stefanov highlighted that throughout the world, co-operatives had made a significant contribution to sustainable economic development and to ensuring stability in the labour market.
“Co-operatives belong to their members, are managed by them and serve their interests, which allows effective solution of economic tasks, the development of social and human capital and, all the while, encourages people co-operate and help each other,” he said. Read the full report on the participation on Euro Coop’s website.
