Sechin Compared the Development of the Global Economy to the Myth of Pandora's Box

The current development of the global economy is akin to the plot of the ancient Greek myth of Pandora's box, said Igor Sechin, Executive Secretary of the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security, speaking at the XXIX St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"A year ago, we compared the development of the global economy to the dangerous and unpredictable journey of Odysseus," stated Igor Sechin during his keynote address, "The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning: What’s left at the Bottom of Pandora's Box," at the Energy Panel. "Today, in my opinion, a more relevant parallel is another ancient Greek myth – the myth of Pandora's vessel, which brought disease, disaster, and suffering to humanity."

Characterizing the prospects for the development of the situation in global energy and the economy, Sechin quoted the words of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill from 1942: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

In his view, the so-called "rules-based order," where "rules" were dictated by an unquestionable hegemon, has collapsed as a result of the actions of its creator. Igor Sechin quoted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that if rules are not backed by real force, they are not worth the paper they are written on.

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June 6, 2026