Beginning yesterday and continuing through tomorrow, representatives of dozens of countries and companies of the Asia-Pacific region gathered either personally or virtually in Vladivostok to attend Russia’s 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), whose topic was “New Opportunities for the Far East in a Changing World.” Discussion focused on ambitious plans to develop Russia’s Far Eastern region, not just for the benefit of its residents but for the broader Asia-Pacific region whose corporations, professionals, students and entrepreneurs will be drawn to the region which, as President Vladimir Putin put it, will be a “powerful center for attracting capital and the new economy, [to] create a space of opportunities for citizens to implement the most daring business ideas and projects.”
Russia, Putin emphasized, is an “inalienable part” of the Asia-Pacific Region. Aside from President Putin, his cabinet and other government officials, guests included President Xi Jinping of China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Mongolia’s President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, and representatives of Japan, South Korea, Thailand and other ASEAN nations. Leaders of Russian and foreign corporations, business groups, and media were also in attendance. At the 2019 EEF, 8,500 people participated.
Speaking to the conference’s plenary session this morning, the Russian President stressed that “the strategic vector for the development of the Far East is towards a new economy, those areas for economic, scientific and technological development that shape the future, set long-term trends in entire industries, countries and regions of the world. Here a broad range of opportunities for international cooperation opens up as well as the chance to really look at the development of the traditional sectors and branches of the economy.” He described a stunning array of infrastructure projects for Russia’s Far East in the fields of industry, energy, transportation (railroads, roads and ports), healthcare, education (building new universities), building new cities, even including projects on the Kuril islands. (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/66586)
