For today’s opening of the 10th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s message welcomed the participants from more than 70 countries by stressing the “valuable opportunity to discover the unique economic, scientific, technological, and infrastructural potential of Russia’s Far East, while also fostering broad and diverse international cooperation. In this regard, the theme of this year’s Forum is highly symbolic—’The Far East: Cooperation for Peace and Prosperity.’ As the center of global economic activity continues to shift towards the Asia-Pacific, new opportunities are emerging to develop mutually beneficial ties among countries across the region, not only through bilateral partnerships, but also within multilateral frameworks such as the SCO and BRICS.” He will present a full address on Sept. 4.
Spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova chose to highlight a key area of potential collaboration with the United States, the development of minerals in the Arctic. She first reported to RIA Novosti that Russia and the United States are on track for a new stage of negotiations: “The date and venue of the next negotiation round are currently being agreed upon.”
