Denis Kravchenko, deputy of the State Duma FC (Federal Council) RF (Russian Federation), opened the ceremony: “The majority of us live in a metropolis and understand that the quality of the water and the air, solid and household communal waste, the solution to the problem of HCS, of necessity, is very important to us and today we will become acquainted with advanced technology and approaches to solve these tasks”.

Ivan Serebritskii, the deputy chairman of the Committee on nature management, the protection of the environment and provision of ecological safety, read out greetings on behalf of Denis Belyaev, president of the committee: “Our town is characteristic not only for its unique nature and nearness to the Baltic Sea, but also for its developing industry and transport infrastructure, therefore we simply must give maximal attention to the question of the improvement of the quality of the town’s environment. I hope that the Forum will become a platform of constructive dialogue for all participants and your suggestions, recommendations will be demanded in practice, will serve to strengthen global ecological safety”.

Sergai Kupchenko, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg of the sixth convocation, member of the permanent commission on ecology and nature management, greeted the participants and guests in the name of Vyacheslav Makarov, president of the Legislative Assembly: “This exhibition is being held as new regulations from housing and communal services should find their reflection in new forms, methods, materials, and it is a call to install communication between government and the users of these mechanisms”.

Dmitrii Nikitin, general director LLC “EA (Exhibition Association) “RESTEK”, congratulated the recovery of congressional-exhibitive activities: “In spring we all survived a complex moment. The event was postponed a day before it was due to open, nevertheless today's exhibition has gathered more than 100 participants”.

Sergei Voronkov, general director of “Expoforum-International”, underlined the singularity of the event: “This event underlines the importance of congressional-exhibitive which has grown in varying contacts, and operational connections. We see that all the industrial, logistical, cooperational chains in the world, which were created in the last 40 years, have endured serious changes. Only congresses and exhibitions were used in the short term to carry out global agreements”.

Vladimir Katenev, deputy of the State Duma FC RF, representative of the Council of St. Petersburg’s trade and industrial chambers, and Mikhail Lobin, general director of the executive directorate, first vice-president SPP St. Petersburg also took part in the ceremony.

The forum “The ecology of a metropolis”, an exhibition of “The ecology of a big city” and The international, specialised exhibition “HCS of Russia” will be held from 17th to 18th September in pavilion F.