On May 22, Rodney Mims Cook, head of the U.S. Federal Commission for Fine Arts, announced his intention to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Cook stated that the forum’s organizing committee and the U.S. Department of State had confirmed his invitation to a plenary session where Russian President Vladimir Putin would deliver an address.
Cook also noted that he would be the first official representative of American authorities to participate in SPIEF in several years.
