Report: US firms can ignore St. Petersburg forum over Calvey arrest

MOSCOW, Mar 12 (PRIME) -- Executives of U.S. companies and state officials can refuse to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) scheduled from June 6 till June 8 due to arrest of investor Michael Calvey, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman said he will not attend the forum unless Calvey is released from a detention center.

According to the Financial Times, several U.S. companies have cancelled planned investor visits to Russia or have asked for consultations about safety of their employees in Russia lately.

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow arrested Calvey and five other defendants for two months in a 2.5 billion ruble embezzlement case in mid-February.

(66.0763 rubles – U.S. $1)

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