As always, there was more than money at stake at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) late last week, especially as the West tries to navigate political waves generated by the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. France's president was particularly interested in smooth sailing with Russia.
The May 25 forum wasn't French President Emmanuel Macron's first visit to Russia's cultural center. In 2013, he came with a delegation headed by President Francois Hollande for the G-20 summit as the president’s economic envoy.