As Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far East Yuri Trutnev said at the final press conference, all major developed countries traditionally come to the Eastern Economic Forum, knowing that here they can determine where the Asia-Pacific region, a strategic region of the world, will move.
“We have signed 258 agreements for a total amount of 5.395 trillion rubles. We have never had such a figure before,” Trutnev said.
According to the head of the Ministry of Eastern Development, Alexey Chekunkov, 4.2 trillion rubles have already been invested in the Far East, and the EEF proposed to increase this level by the end of 2030 to 12 trillion rubles. Previously, it was 10.5 trillion rubles. According to the minister, not all information about the agreements can be disclosed, so the mega-deal remains a secret for the public so far.
“Other important agreements… are… an investment plan that can seriously change the situation in the depressed city of Komi in the Arctic zone, in Vorkuta, an agreement on the creation of a gas-chemical complex for 200 billion rubles,” Chekunkov said.
In addition, at the request of the President, the Russian Innovation, Science and Technology Center will be built in Vladivostok for 24 billion rubles, and leading scientists will also be attracted there.
“Primorye financed the construction of the first pilot building of the INTC – 7.5 thousand meters here, on a site near the Far Eastern Federal University, which is already fully allocated to residents and this is thanks to large deals – 60 billion rubles on investments in Sakhalin in wood processing, in logistics capacities, as well as in a number of large housing development projects worth more than 10 billion rubles that are already within the framework of the implementation of general plans,” Chekunkov added.
According to Evgeniy Vlasov, Vice-Rector for International Relations of FEFU, the key event of the forum was the plenary session with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he announced the creation of the first international priority development territory in the Primorsky Territory, in which Chinese and Belarusian partners have already shown interest, which will give a new impetus to the development of the Far East.
“In addition, one of the most important events of the Eastern Economic Forum was the session of the Russia-China Business Dialogue. As you know, last year the trade volume between Russia and China reached 240 billion dollars, and this is probably not the limit, as cooperation is promising not only trade, but also services in areas such as education, tourism and logistics. Chinese companies are actively increasing their presence in the Russian market; however, experts of the session confirmed that Russian businessmen have difficulties in entering the markets of the Middle Kingdom. In this situation, educational institutions could act as intermediaries that would help facilitate entry into the highly competitive markets of China,” Vlasov notes.
In the context of the international agenda, it is impossible not to mention the session of the Russia-ASEAN Business Dialogue that took place. In order for the Greater Eurasian Partnership project to be implemented, it is necessary to develop cooperation with ASEAN countries. In this context, the Far East can serve as a gateway to the EAEU free trade zone thanks to the established ties with Vietnam.
Speaking at the session, Gohar Barseghyan, a member of the Board (Minister) for Industry and Agro-industrial Complex of the Eurasian Economic Commission, expressed the initiative to deepen SCO cooperation in ensuring food security and industrial policy, which means that Russia is interested in new areas of cooperation with this promising and rapidly growing region of the world.
