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National Development Programme for the Russian Far East to be Central Focus of EEF 2019

8 February 2019
Национальная программа развития Дальнего Востока станет основной темой ВЭФ-2019

On 7 February in Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev chaired the first meeting of the Organizing Committee for the 5th Eastern Economic Forum, which will be held 4–6 September 2019 in Vladivostok.

The meeting reviewed the results of the 4th Eastern Economic Forum in 2018 and established the basic parameters for the preparation and holding of the EEF 2019.

The main presenters were Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation (Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee — Executive Secretary) Anton Kobyakov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Russian Far East (Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee) Alexander Kozlov, Governor of Primorye Territory Oleg Kozhemyako, and Far Eastern Federal University Rector Nikita Anisimov.

«This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the Eastern Economic Forum, which was first held in 2015. We must celebrate the EEF’s anniversary year with dignity and innovate in the work of the forum. We must pay more attention to the forum’s history, cover the EEF’s contribution to the development of the Russian Far East, present achievements in an attractive way, and stimulate the solving of pressing issues,» said Yury Trutnev.

Trutnev also noted that, in the last few years, the EEF has become the main international economic event focused on solving issues related to the development of the eastern vector of Russian foreign policy and for integrating the Russian Far East into the system of economic relations in the Asia-Pacific region. «During the upcoming forum, we plan to present the National Programme for the Development of the Russian Far East to 2025 to the President. The programme will unify the initiatives of existing national projects and government programmes, agencies’ and infrastructure companies’ long-term sector plans, and all of the Far Eastern regions’ development strategies, taking into account the growing importance of the Far East to Russia’s economy,» noted Yury Trutnev. Considering the importance of the National Programme to all of the Russian Far East, Trutnev proposed making it the key topic of the Forum.

During his presentation, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov noted that the Organizing Committee is focusing its efforts on making sure that the EEF remains the leading international platform for discussing the regional agenda. «By bringing together representatives of large Russian and international businesses, the EEF genuinely facilitates the accelerated development of the Russian Far East’s economy. Its primary objectives include the expansion of international cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region and advancement and demonstration of the investment appeal of the ASEZ and the Free Port of Vladivostok. One of the key areas of focus for the upcoming forum is a series of field events — sessions, expert panels, and roundtables— organized by Russian regions and focusing on the main topics of the upcoming EEF, held in a number of locations, including in Asia-Pacific countries».

According to Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Kozlov, the Far Eastern National Programme will focus on two primary areas: economic growth and raising life expectancy standards to above the Russian national average. «I propose making these parameters the two main sections of the Forum’s business program,» said Kozlov. The minister proposed including a presentation on various sectors’ investment potential across each of the Russian Far East’s regions in the first block of the business programme. The second block will include sessions on implementing 12 national projects in the Russian Far East.

As Anton Kobyakov noted, the EEF also presents an opportunity for bilateral meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee with Asia-Pacific countries during the forum.

In this regard, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East are assessing the viability of holding such events with the PRC and the Republic of Korea. Organizing the first Russia—Japan dialogue between Far Eastern regions and Japanese prefectures has also been proposed.

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Analytical coverage of the outcome of the Eastern Economic Forum 2018 is currently complete. The results of all of the panel sessions held during the 4th Eastern Economic Forum can be found online with the help of the Roscongress Foundation’s Information and Analytical System.

The system features detailed materials related to all of the key events of the EEF 2018 business programme: the main discussion topics, conclusions, recommendations, and resolutions made. Russian and English versions of the booklet ‘Outcomes of the EEF 2018’ can be found at the following URL: https://roscongress.org/upload/medialibrary/100/eef2018_summary.pdf.