Political and economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea is on an unprecedented rise. The Moon Jae-in Administration has set Korea–Russia relations as one of its key priorities, resulting in the 'Nine Bridges towards Cooperation' initiative. How the private sector could be involved in the “Nine Bridges” initiative implementation? Which sectors could become locomotives for boosting bilateral trade and investment? What role might SMEs assume in this process?

Moderator:
Sergey Glukhov — General Director, Leaders' Club

Panellists:
Artem Avetisyan — Director of the New Business Department, Agency for Strategic Initiatives; Chairman of the Non-Governmental Organization Leaders' Club
Vyacheslav Arutyunyan — Acting Chairman of the Management Board, Orient Express Bank
Homin Kang — Senior Vice President, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Pyung-oh Kwon — President, Chief Executive Officer, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)
Oleg Kozhemyako — Governor of Sakhalin Region
Keun-tae Park — Chief Executive Officer, CJ Logistics Corporation; Chairman, Korea-Russia Business and Investment Council
Alexey Repik — President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)
Jaeho Jung — Member of Parliament of the Republic of Korea; Special Advisor, Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation
Svetlana Chupsheva — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Aleksandr Shenderyuk-Zhidkov — Director, Sodruzhestvo

In the 21st century, exploration of new territories is becoming increasingly important in terms of access to both resources and logistics, and as a means of preventing disasters. New technologies in conjunction with business models that have been proven to be competitive on the global market should play a key role in this area. Within the framework of the AeroNet, MariNet, and AutoNet road maps of the National Technology Initiative, a number of directions for the development of relevant market-oriented technologies have been formulated: remote sensing of the Earth; the use of monitoring based on unmanned systems; integrated logistics services; organization of communication and information exchange between ships, the coast, and other users; ecological monitoring; smart management of port infrastructure; creation of infrastructure and unmanned navigation resources; development of underwater robotics; mining technologies for extraction of offshore minerals; renewable ocean energy sources; underwater communication systems; etc. What might a smart maritime transport management system and technologies for developing the World Ocean look like? How are technologies related to renewable ocean energy sources and extraction of hard-to-reach natural resources found in the World Ocean developing? Are space exploration mega-projects realistic?

Moderator:
Alexander Povalko — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, RVC

Panellists:
Andrey Adrianov — Vice-President, Russian Academy of Sciences
Kirill Golokhvast — Vice Rector for Research, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Sergey Zhukov — General Director, Technology Transfer Center
Dmitry Peskov — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Digital and Technological Development; Director of the Young Professionals direction, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Aleksey Struchkov — First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Sakha(Yakutia)

The unbalanced distribution of energy resources in Northeast Asia in the context of rapid growth in demand implies a need to ensure an adequate level of supply, which will stimulate the economic growth of energy importing countries. Despite the diversity of models of production and consumption of energy, the geographical proximity of Russia, China, Mongolia, and North and South Korea to one another may lead to mutually beneficial cooperation in Northeast Asia, and the development of trade in energy resources. Keeping in mind the realities of the modern world, the heads of scientific institutes and academies and the heads of international organizations and associations will discuss the possibilities of establishing multilateral scientific and technological cooperation in the field of energy, with the aim of ensuring energy security in Northeast Asia, and will identify potential mechanisms for intensifying cooperation in the region. What will the energy trends of the future be in Northeast Asia? What is the role of the Russian energy sector in Northeast Asia? What steps need to be taken to transition to sustainable production and consumption of energy? What are the prospects for developing the North Korean energy industry? Is cooperation on energy innovation and technology possible?

Moderator:
Chung Rae Kwon — Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee; Professor Emeritus, Incheon National University

Panellists:
Yeren-Ulzii Batmunkh — Head of Investment and Production Division, Ministry of Energy of Mongolia
Lee Bu Young — Honoured President, PEACE ASIA Corporation
Oleg Budargin — Vice Chairman for Regional Development, World Energy Council (WEC)
Wang Jun — Senior Engineer, Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute (EPPEI)
Alexander Sergeev — President, Russian Academy of Sciences
Wu Xuan — Deputy Chairman, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO)
Liu Hongpeng — Director, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Kim Jin Hyun — Chairman, World Peace Forum
Lee Jong Ho — President, Korea Scientific Writers Association

Front row participants:
Cho Inkil — Consultant, Federation of Artistc and Cultural Organization of Korea
Vasily Savin — Partner, Head of Power and Utilities, KPMG in Russia and the CIS
Lee Samuel — Chairman, Korea Dialogue Academy
Park Chan-Mo — Chancellor, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology
Song Jaeryoung — Researcher of Center for Climate Technology Cooperation, Green Technology Center
Ko Youngjoo — Policy Fellow, Director, National Research Council of Science and Technology

Every year, around 20,000 inhabitants of the Russian Far East visit medical centres in South Korea, China, Japan, and Singapore. In order to ensure that the regional population has access to qualified medical assistance, plans are in development to extend the Skolkovo International Medical Cluster scheme to Vladivostok Free Port. How can medical tourists be attracted back to the Far Eastern Federal District, and new ones attracted ones from Northern China? What barriers exist today that are preventing foreign investors from pursuing medical projects in the Russian Far East? What are the similarities and differences between plans for medical clusters in Skolkovo and Vladivostok? How can the Far Eastern medical cluster be turned into a source of growth for medical service exports, and what should be taken into account from the outset? Why is it the case that international experience in medicine, rather than threatening national healthcare systems, instead provides a key to improving quality of life and longevity?

Moderator:
Vladislav Boutenko — Senior Partner, Managing Director, Chairman in Russia, The Boston Consulting Group

Panellists:
Kirill Kaem — Senior Vice-President for Innovations, Skolkovo Foundation
Takao Nishida — Deputy Secretary General, Hokuto Social Medical Corporation
Yamada Noriko — Director, Medical Excellence JAPAN
Toshio Fujimoto — General Manager, Shonan Health Innovation Park, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Yury Khotimchenko — Vice-Rector for Medical Affairs; Director, School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Lee Chang Hun — President, Pusan National University Hospital

Front row participants:
Joa Sup Bae — Director of the Department of Global Healthcare, Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI)
Evgeny Chernyshev — Vice President, Medical Tourism Agencies Association

Growing consumption of agricultural and food products in the countries of East Asia is creating significant export potential for the Russian Far East’s domestic agroindustrial sector. Effective monetization of this potential will require a competitive and modern supply chain within both the Russian Far East and target sales markets. Consumer preferences are dictating new requirements for modern logistics, with the sector being forced to improve its efficiency, reliability, and use of technology. What is the significance of agricultural logistics for the development of the regional agricultural industry? Which modern logistics solutions could be used to increase the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products? What current logistical limitations in the region are holding back agroindustrial exports? What Russian and foreign infrastructure projects aimed at increasing exports are being implemented today? What are some of the new approaches to organizing supply chain infrastructure for key markets? Will agricultural logistics hubs become a mechanism for supporting exports from small-scale farms? How are modern technologies enabling the optimization of logistics for agroindustrial and food products?

Moderator:
Vitaly Sheremet — Partner, Head of Agricultural Practice, KPMG in Russia and CIS

Panellists:
Maxim Basov — Chief Executive Officer, Rusagro Group of Companies
Alexey Vanchugov — Chairman of the Executive Board, RosAgroMarket
Andrey Gollandtsev — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Slavtrans-Service
Sergey Levin — Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
Andrey Slepnev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Export Center
Nikolay Tsekhomskiy — First Deputy Chairman – Member of the Management Board, Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Front row participant:
Nikolay Kharitonov — Chairman of the Committee for Regional Policy and Issues of the North and Far East, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

In recent years, the development of Russian–Chinese cooperation in cross-border online trade has reached a new level. Within the overall structure of cross-border e-commerce trade between Russia and China, the lion’s share is represented by Chinese exports to Russia. Recently, however, an increasing number of Russian companies have been viewing China as a promising sales market for their own products via electronic channels, and are seeking opportunities to optimize supply routes. This development of the Far East region is largely the reason for the rate of growth seen in cross-border trade between the two countries. Both the authorities and businesses should therefore focus their efforts in this particular direction. What is the current profile of Russian users of Chinese online stores, and how can these be reoriented towards consuming goods in the mid-to-high price range? What changes in the e-commerce market are anticipated in the short term (including to its structure, technologies, models, services, and priorities)? How might the development of the e-commerce market be influenced by customs and tax regulation measures? What infrastructure projects, including those in the Far East, must be implemented today in order to ensure that consumers receive the levels of service that they have come to expect? What tools can be used to ensure growth in the volume of Russian goods exported to China?

Moderator:
Dmitry Butrin — Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Head of Economic Policy Section, Kommersant Publishing House

Panellists:
Alexander Brechalov — Head of the Udmurt Republic, Co-Chairman of the Central Staff, All-Russia People's Front (ONF)
Ilya Kretov — General Manager Russia and Emerging Europe, eBay Inc.
Nikolai Podguzov — General Director, Russian Post
Huang Xing — Vice President, JD Group
Li Xiong — Vice President, China Post Group
Xue Xiaoguo — General Manager, Cainiao Global - Outbound, Alibaba Group
Zhu Xiaoliang — Director, China International Electronic Commerce Center (CIECC)

Front row participants:
Sergey Zhigarev — Chairman, State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, Innovative Development, and Entrepreneurship
Sergey Iniushin — Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the People's Republic of China
Elena Kuznetsova — Partner, McKinsey & Company
Vera Podguzova — Managing Director of External Communications, Russian Export Center

Russian–Chinese relations have reached a new level. New points of growth are being noted, including trade in agricultural produce, cross-border electronic trade, small and medium-sized businesses, cooperation in the financial and high-tech sectors, and collaboration on projects in the Russian Far East and the Arctic. This is a promising area that is set to be actively developed. Restrictive factors are also at play, however, and not least with respect to the positioning and promotion of export goods and services. One of these factors is a lack of readiness among target markets (including both businesses and end consumers), due to the lack of a clearly formed image of Russia and China as producers of high-quality and competitive goods and insufficient knowledge and trust, both on the part of consumers in both countries and on the part of business (local partners, distributors, financial institutions, etc.). Another is the absence in Russia and China of a unified, authoritative expert platform for creating a ‘knowledge base’ with regard to the particulars of communications and marketing in both countries; insufficient exchange of both positive and negative experience; an incompletely formed market for highly-qualified specialists in the fields of promotion and positioning; and difficulties in intercultural communication. What are the models, opportunities, specific features, and risks of entering the Russian and Chinese markets? How is the image of Russia and China formed in the minds of export market consumers? What are the key trends in communications (PR, GR, digital marketing) in the Chinese and Russian export markets? What is the best way to promote a brand in Russia and China in the era of digitalization: the special features of promotion on social media; bloggers as a key sales channel; digital marketing, e-commerce, m-commerce?

Moderator:
Mikhail Korostikov — Observer of International Divison, Kommersant Publishing House

Panellists:
Wang Feng — Chairman, Russian-Chinese Foundation for Regional Development
Wu Hao — Chief Editor in Russia, China Newsweek
Qian Zhimin — Chairman of the Board of Directors, State Power Investment Corporation Ltd
He Zhenwei — Secretary General, China Overseas Development Association

Front row participants:
Alexander Kazyukhin — Head, iMARS China in Beijing
Ekaterina Kumanina — Member of the Management Board, Director for Strategic Communications, RVC
Vera Podguzova — Managing Director of External Communications, Russian Export Center
Mikhail Khomich — Deputy Prime Minister, Udmurt Republic

In 2018, decisions were taken to create a financial centre and special administrative district (offshore) on Russky Island. Both of these decisions are aimed at ensuring that Russia can offer the globally competitive conditions needed to attract and retain capital, and that its financial market and financial technologies incorporate the latest developments. What new solutions for developing Russia’s financial market will be implemented in the Vladivostok Free Port financial centre? What conditions are needed to attract international credit organizations to Russia? What is needed in order to create and develop a cryptocurrency exchange? How competitive are CAP regimes when it comes to protecting capital?

Moderator:
Maxim Filimonov — Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Editor, TASS Russia

Panellists:
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Chow Loletta — EY Global Leader, China Overseas Investment Network
Maxim Oreshkin — Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Zhou Xiaochuan — Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Boao Forum for Asia
Denis Tikhonov — General Director, Corporation for Far East Development
Alexey Chekunkov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund

Front row participants:
Elena Avakyan — Executive Director, Non-Profit Partnership for Advancement of Corporate Law; Counsel, Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners
Andrey Gorlenko — Executive Administrator, Russian Arbitration Centre at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration
Aleksandr Shenderyuk-Zhidkov — Director, Sodruzhestvo
Gao Yang — President, BANK OF CHINA RUSSIA

Cargo turnover at sea ports in the Russian Far East doubled between 2009 and 2017, demonstrating rapid growth in comparison with figures for the Russian Federation as a whole. In 2017, cargo turnover at ports in the Far Eastern basin reached 191.7 million tonnes, a large part of which was accounted for by coal transshipments. It is anticipated that the growth of coal exports to Asia-Pacific countries and active development of new coal deposits in the Russian Far East will continue. New projects involving the transshipment of grain cargoes and seafood products, as well as the development of the Russian Far East’s transit potential, will also help to increase cargo turnover. What areas of development are the highest priorities for increasing competitiveness in the sector? How can zoning of Far Eastern ports according to cargo type be implemented, in a way that also addresses the environmental problems that may arise from the transshipment of coal? What factors in the investment attractiveness of the sector are the most important for potential investors and what changes are needed in order to address these? Which modern financial instruments should be used to implement infrastructure projects in the Russian Far East?

Moderator:
Igor Prutov — Partner, Transaction Advisory Services, EY

Panellists:
Denis Ilatovskiy — Director for Logistics, JSC SUEK
Vitaly Korolev — Deputy Head, Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (FAS Russia)
Irina Olkhovskaya — First Deputy General Director - Commercial Director, Port Management Company
Di Wu — Vice President, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.
Yuriy Tsvetkov — Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation; Head, Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport
Vadim Shvetsov — Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors, SOLLERS

Front row participants:
Iwata Akira — General Manager of Moscow Branch, Nomura Research Institute Ltd.
Vladimir Grigoryev — General Director, AO Nakhodka Trade Seaport
Ruslan Kondratov — President, Founder, Aqua-Resources Group of Companies
Eiji Okada — Chief Operating Officer, Marubeni Corporation
Alexander Romanov — Executive Director, Infrastructure Financing Division, VTB Capital
Yury Tyamushkin — General Director, VaninoTransUgol JSC

As the global economy rapidly evolves, driven by disruptive technologies, education systems face hitherto unseen challenges. Today, the interdependence of man and machine has blurred the lines between the digital, physical, and biological spheres. And while technologies give rise to innovations, they do not promise progress per se. The spread of artificial intelligence and machine learning could leave millions of people unemployed, and disrupt existing social and economic patterns. As a result, the younger generation is at risk of entering a marketplace where the skills gap is worse than at any time before in history. While public and private investments in education aim to improve human capital, new and better approaches to teaching are also needed to provide the skills required to develop the workforce of the future. What is being done to prepare subsequent generations for an uncertain and volatile future? Are current education systems teaching the skills required to close the skills gap in an automated world? What would prompt governments to reconsider the value of education?

Moderator:
Brian Yeung — Editor, Asia Weekly

Panellist:
Charles Yidan Chen — Founder, Yidan Prize Foundation; Core Founder, Tencent Holdings Limited

The majority of deposits currently being developed in the Russian Far East were opened and surveyed during the Soviet period. In order to support the future development of the mining sector in the Far East, it is essential to develop its resource potential to the fullest extent possible, and this should be facilitated by geological exploration. Expenditure on geological survey work on the Russian Far East’s mineral resource base rose by 30% in 2017, reaching around RUB 6 billion, with plans to allocate around RUB 16 billion over the 2017–2020 period. Although these sums are significant, in order to fully exploit the resource potential of the region and make the most practical use of its subsoil, the Russian Far East requires a more active investment strategy for the development of geological exploration. What concrete steps must be taken to increase survey coverage of the Russian Far East? What global best practices (from Canada, Australia, the USA, and South Africa) can be used in projects in the Far East? What model for junior companies is the most attractive for the Russian market?

Moderator:
Boris Yatsenko — Partner, Head of the Metals and Mining Group in Russia and the CIS, EY

Panellists:
Thomas E. Bowens — President, Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors, IG Copper
Mikhail Damrin — Chief Executive Officer, Kopy Goldfields AB
Evgeny Kiselev — Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation - Head of the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources
Vitaliy Nesis — Group Chief Executive Officer, Polymetal
Sergey Pavlovsky — Member of the Board of Directors, Gold of Kamchatka
Claude Schimper — Regional Vice President for Russia, Kinross Gold Corporation

Front row participants:
Alexander Basanskiy — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolyma Industrial and Commercial Concern Arbat
Kirill Molodtsov — Aide to the Chief of Staff, Presidential Executive Office

For a long time, the contribution of marine aquaculture to the economy of the Russian Far East has been limited. In recent years, the industry’s output has been increasing, but further development is being hindered by administrative barriers. In 2017, the first major foreign investors got involved in the sector. Together with their investments, they have also brought in modern technology. A special Internet service for allocating marine plots for aquaculture was launched in 2018, with the help of which more than 100,000 hectares will be turned into new plantations by 2020. What other measures are needed to increase the volume of aquaculture products, both on the Russian market, and for export? How can the issues involved in making land available for the creation of on-shore bases for marine farms be solved? What needs to be done in order to simplify the procedure for carrying out environmental impact assessments for aquaculture? What can be done to improve the effectiveness of measures to safeguard private property used for mariculture production?

Moderator:
Eduard Klimov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Fishnews

Panellists:
Roman Vityazev — Vice Chairman, Far Eastern Union of Mariculture Enterprises
Yulia Kosareva — Director of the Department of Private Investment Attraction, Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East
Alexander Tashintsev — Director, Investment Department, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Guonan Qiu — President, Wenlian Aquaculture Co. Ltd.
Ilya Shestakov — Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation; Head, Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

Front row participants:
Viktor Baranov — Deputy General Director, OOO RTS-Tender
Maxim Bergelya — Chairman, Association of Fishing Enterprises of the Ulchsky and Komsoolsky Districts of the Khabarovsk Territory
Valentin Bogoslavskiy — Director General, Scientific and Production Company Aquaculture Nereida
Alexander Efremov — Managing Director, Dobroflot Group of Companies
Andrey Kovalenko — Commissioner for Entrepreneurs’ Rights in Sakhalin Region
Maria Malkova — Executive Director, Zhilsotservis
Sergey Maslennikov — Head of the Laboratory of Ecology of Shelf Communities, Institute of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Andrey Strelets — General Director, Dalsnab
Sergey Emdin — Chief Executive Officer, Tele2

By 2025, the Russian Far East will have a total of more than 100,000 modern, high-performance jobs. It will be impossible to fill these positions using only the Far East's existing workforce, however. The government has proposed a programme to attract specialists from other regions; nonetheless, the scale and conditions of these proposals are indicative of the need to adopt new measures aimed at attracting staff and creating a new system to train and retrain specialists in accordance with employers’ requirements. How can we develop a strategy to improve the workforce potential of the Far East? How do we effectively develop and invest in human capital? How do we solve the problems that investors encounter when trying to attract qualified staff that are able to meet the needs of new industries?

Moderator:
Alexey Bobrovsky — Head of the Economic Programme, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Nikita Anisimov — Rector, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Maxim Basov — Chief Executive Officer, Rusagro Group of Companies
Vsevolod Vukolov — Head, Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Rostrud)
Mikhail Karisalov — Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, SIBUR
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Irina Manuylova — Acting Vice Governor of Primorye Territory
Robert Urazov — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for the Development of Professional Communities and Skilled Workers (WorldSkills Russia)
Svetlana Chupsheva — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Irina Yarovaya — Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Elena Grekhova — Head of the Project Learning to Drive Disabled People of 1 and 2 Groups, Sport Federation of Persons with Musculoskeletal Injuries in Primorsky Territory (regional public organization)
Andrey Leifa — Acting Rector, Amur State University

The World Ocean represents a seemingly boundless resource that no one has yet fully quantified. The oceans contain biological resources with an estimated biomass of 35 billion tonnes. Fish alone, which make up 20% of humanity’s food supply, account for 0.5 billion tonnes. The oceans also contain extractable mineral resources in their solid, liquid, and gaseous states. The oceans are a source of energy, such as the raw physical and thermal energy produced by the World Ocean, of which only tidal energy has been harnessed for the most part so far. Water itself is also a resource provided by the World Ocean. Seawater contains about 75 chemical elements, and once it has been desalinated, it can become the vital resource we need to sustain us. At the same time, the state of the ocean’s aquatic biological resource reserves and the question of how they can be effectively managed are becoming increasingly important. This question is relevant not only to the challenge of providing the population with high-quality food products, but also to ensuring that many industries and agribusinesses are supplied with the raw materials they need. The World Ocean is becoming increasingly strained. As its resources are exploited more intensively, it is becoming increasingly polluted due to the dumping of industrial, agricultural, domestic, and other waste into rivers and seas and as a result of shipping and mining activity. Oil spills and the disposal of toxic substances and radioactive waste in the deep ocean pose a particular threat. The problems of the World Ocean will be the problems of future human civilization. They require concerted international measures to coordinate the use of its resources. How can we learn how to properly evaluate these resources and to use them correctly? What needs to be done in order to preserve and increase the natural bounty that has been given to us?

Moderator:
Maxim Safonov — Director, Green Capital Alliance; Professor, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

Panellists:
Andrey Adrianov — Vice-President, Russian Academy of Sciences
Riccardo Valentini — Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Member of the Board of Directors, CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change); Professor, University of Tuscia
Dmitry Kobylkin — Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation
Ruslan Novikov — General Director, Argumenty I Facty Ltd
Roman Panov — Chief Executive Officer, Rosgeologia

Front row participant:
Kirill Molodtsov — Aide to the Chief of Staff, Presidential Executive Office

Information infrastructure creates opportunities for the development of telemedicine, distance learning, smart energy, and digital utilities, as well as other sectors which promote growth in the digital economy. The government is set to approve a national plan to develop the country’s information infrastructure, which should help to drive growth in these sectors. On the other hand, according to the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, one in ten residents of the region still lacks access to broadband Internet and a reliable mobile connection. This is slowing the development of the high-tech sector in the region, and postponing the creation of a fully-fledged information infrastructure and transition to a digital economy. The most important task in delivering high-quality social services is providing access to a network of educational institutions and healthcare facilities, and in order to maintain road safety and a fast response to emergencies, especially in winter, it is vital that stable mobile communications services are accessible on federal and regional highways. How can business be persuaded to develop the information infrastructure as a whole? What special considerations should be taken into account in the development of the digital economy in the Far East? Which economic, technological, and regulatory barriers to development can be solved with the help of state support? Is there a role for investment support measures here? What opportunities could a stable high-speed connection provide for the expansion of the innovation sector in the Far East? Which solutions would improve the quality of life in the region?

Moderator:
Vladislav Boutenko — Senior Partner, Managing Director, Chairman in Russia, The Boston Consulting Group

Panellists:
Vasily Brovko — Director for Special Commissions, Russian Technologies State Corporation (Rostec)
Amy Lin — Senior Vice President, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Vladislav Onishchenko — Head, Analytical Centre for the Government of the Russian Federation
Mikhail Oseevskiy — President, Rostelecom
Anna Serebryanikova — Chief Operating Officer, MegaFon

Front row participants:
Sergey Nosov — Acting Governor of Magadan Region
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Zhu Xian — Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, New Development Bank

The transition from state budget financing to public-private partnership represents a new challenge for the development of sporting infrastructure and new opportunities for investors. Which mechanisms of attracting extra-budgetary investment are already operating in this field? How can SMEs be encouraged to take an interest in the sports industry? What are the requirements that the banking sector imposes with respect to sporting infrastructure projects? Is it feasible to replicate successful examples of the construction and operation of sporting facilities through the PPP mechanism? What is the payback period? What type of support do potential investors in sporting infrastructure expect from the regions? How can interagency and interregional relations be optimized and the legal framework strengthened to increase the investment attractiveness of building and managing sporting infrastructure?

Moderator:
Tatiana Remezova — Anchor, Vesti News Show, All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

Panellists:
Alexander Brechalov — Head of the Udmurt Republic, Co-Chairman of the Central Staff, All-Russia People's Front (ONF)
Dmitry Golovanov — Chairman of the Board, Member of the Supervisory Board, SME Bank JSC
Olga Golodets — Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Pavel Kolobkov — Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation
Dmitriy Svischev — Chair, Interdepartmental Working Group on the Development of Public-Private Partnership in Physical Education and Sport under the Government of the Russian Federation
Alexey Tsedenov — Head of the Republic of Buryatia
Vladimir Yakushev — Minister of Construction, Housing, and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Anna Belichenko — Head, Organizing Committee of the Regions Sustainable Development Annual Public Award Competition
Viktor Lukyanov — Head of Brand Strategy Development Directorate, VTB Bank

Without the cooperation of businesses, charities, and social and volunteer organizations, it is impossible to address the challenges that our society faces today. It is these groups that are the source of innovation, and from which many bold and creative ideas and solutions originate. Modern communications techniques are needed to ensure that information about new ideas and approaches to social issues can reach a wide audience. These techniques may, in turn, become a tool for creating and promoting community values and lead to more people becoming involved in addressing social issues. Effective means of communication can be developed if the efforts of both new contributors and recognized experts in this field are combined. What types of technology can be used to communicate social ideas effectively, and are there any successful examples to be found in Russia? What best international practices can be introduced in Russia? Who might be the key players in the process of setting up these new means of social communication? What measures and initiatives need to be introduced?

Moderator:
Sophie Shevardnadze — Journalist, Anchor

Panellists:
Felix Azhimov — Director for Expertise and Analytics, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Anna Akparova — Aide to Deputy Prime Minister of Russian Federation and Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Y. Trutnev
Alexander Alekseev — President, Art Directors Club Russia; Creative Director, Serviceplan
Sergey Glushkov — Vice President Corporate Affairs, PepsiCo Russia, CIS, Ukraine & Central Europe
Yuri Grishan — Mayor of Magadan
Anton Dolgov — Executive Director, Presidential Grants Foundation
Ian Colebourne — Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte CIS
Alexey Malinovskiy — Сhief Executive Officer in Russia, Mastercard
Yuliana Slashcheva — Chairman of the Management Board, Creative Production Association Soyuzmultfilm Film Studio FSUE
Ekaterina Son — General Director, Effie Awards Russia

The Russian Federation is interested both in increasing the share of Russian investment in the rapidly developing economies of the Asia-Pacific region and in attracting Asian investment to Russia. At the present time, significant progress has been made in such areas of investment partnership as energy, transport, agriculture, information technology, and industry. However, at the same time there are a number of barriers that impede Russia from maximizing the potential of this cooperation. These include technical barriers, differences between the regulatory environments, the lack of extensive experience in cooperation and relevant information, and a shortage of financial resources and effective mechanisms for supporting exports. Session participants will discuss the difficulties and opportunities that exist on the path to diversifying and strengthening trade and investment flows in the Asia-Pacific region. Representatives of foreign and Russian businesses that are already investing or planning to invest in the Russian Far East will be able to obtain information on the investment potential of the region and existing mechanisms to support investors. They will also be able to learn about the regulatory and supervisory measures being developed directly from government officials and representatives of development institutions, and to ask any questions that they may have.

Moderator:
Alexander Shokhin — President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

Panellists:
Grigory Berezkin — Chairman of the Board of Directors, ESN Group
Vladimir Bulavin — Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Sergey Gorkov — Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Denis Manturov — Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Alexander Misharin — First Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Russian Railways
Mikhail Orlov — Partner, Head of Tax and Legal, KPMG Russia
Vladimir Rashevsky — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, JSC SUEK
Andrey Slepnev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Export Center
Sergey Tyrtsev — First Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Anna Tsivileva — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolmar Group
Alexey Chekunkov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Hideki Yamano — Managing Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Information Officer, Sumitomo Corporation

Front row participant:
Vladimir Salamatov — General Director, International Trade and Integration Research Centre

Since 2015, targeted infrastructure support has been provided in the Russian Far East in the form of a direct free and non-repayable grant. This subsidy has become one of the first tools for supporting major investors in the region, and has been awarded to 12 companies implementing projects worth more than USD 3.5 billion. The ASEZ mechanism has also reduced demand for infrastructure grants as an independent form of support. From 2019, a new infrastructure support tool will be introduced which will include reimbursement of investor expenditure on building utilities and social infrastructure facilities for new production assets through future taxes. What results have been achieved by the targeted infrastructure mechanism employed to support investors in the Russian Far East? How will a ‘taxes for infrastructure’ mechanism operate, and what risks does business see in this?

Moderator:
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East

Panellists:
Sergey Barsukov — Vice President, PJSC ALROSA
Andrey Zhzhenyh — General Director, SKIF Group of Companies
Dmitry Kudinov — General Director, Mazda Sollers Manufacturing Rus
Aysen Nikolaev — Acting Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Denis Tikhonov — General Director, Corporation for Far East Development
Yury Tyamushkin — General Director, VaninoTransUgol JSC
Valery Tsivilev — General Director, Kolmar Group

Front row participant:
Sergey Zhuravlev — Vice President of Government Relations, Polyus

Today, the contribution of petrochemicals to Russian GDP is lagging significantly behind the equivalent figures for leading global economies (at less than 2% in comparison with 6% in the USA and 9% in China). At a time of growing foreign competition, choosing the right direction for the development of petrochemical projects within a Far Eastern cluster is gaining particular relevance. It is no coincidence that the Russian Far East is the location for a number of major petrochemical projects which are either at the implementation stage or in preparation, including the Amur Gas Processing Plant, Amur Gas Chemical Complex, Skovorodino Methanol Production Plant, Nakhodka Fertilizer Plant, and many others, representing a total value of more than USD 20 billion. Its close proximity to the premium Asia-Pacific market provides the cluster with an additional advantage. The extraction of helium and other valuable components from Yakutsk and Irkutsk gas at Far Eastern facilities has the potential to facilitate the development both of related markets, and of high-tech industrial sectors. How well supplied is the region with raw materials and the capacity to process them? What factors should form the basis of value creation chains within the sector? What high-value-added products will be in demand on domestic and external markets? Is there a need to develop the small-scale LNG market in the region? Will changes to the tax regime affect the cost of raw materials for the petrochemicals sector? Petrochemicals from naphtha, ethane, or LPGs – what should be developed and why?

Moderator:
Anton Poriadine — Partner, CIS Strategy Leader, EY

Panellists:
Grigory Vygon — Managing Director, VYGON Consulting
Sergey Komyshan — Member of the Management Board, Executive Director, SIBUR
Boris Krasnovskiy — General Director, ESN LLC
Nikolay Sabitov — General Director, Nakhodka Fertilizer Plant
Pavel Sorokin — Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Viktor Evtukhov — State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Yuriy Korsun — Deputy Chairman, Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Belt and Road is one of the biggest development initiatives of the 21st century in terms of scale, and is set to affect not only the regions on the historical ‘Silk Road’, but almost all of the Earth’s eastern hemisphere. For Russia, the key format for cooperation with the Chinese initiative lies in linking Belt and Road and the construction of the EAEU, which is already producing initial results. Russia’s strategic priority, however, is to build a Greater Eurasian partnership by synergizing the potential of EAEU countries, the SCO, and ASEAN. The core of this partnership will be Russian–Chinese cooperation in the creation of joint projects and the formation of a space for development. How can government officials and entrepreneurs best navigate their way among the multitude of initiatives and projects taking place in Eurasia? How can the interests of partners be balanced in order to arrive at mutually beneficial solutions? How can comprehensive projects be managed in an environment where East and West cooperate harmoniously? One answer lies in the philosophy behind the ancient game Go (weiqi), which enables a shared vision for successful cooperation to be developed based on universal strategic principles and the countries closest to us.

Moderator:
Sergey Gorkov — Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Wang Yilin — Chairman, China National Petroleum Corporation
Dmitry Konov — Chairman of the Management Board, SIBUR Holding
Dmitry Mezentsev — Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy
Vitaliy Nesis — Group Chief Executive Officer, Polymetal
Veronika Nikishina — Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission
Zhou Xiaochuan — Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Boao Forum for Asia
Alexey Chekunkov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Alexander Shokhin — President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

Front row participants:
Dmitry Morozov — General Director, BIOCAD
Vladimir Salamatov — General Director, International Trade and Integration Research Centre

Trends in scientific research that have emerged in recent decades have raised questions about the future of science as a field of enquiry. On the one hand, it is actively engaging and developing established disciplines, but, on the other hand, it is eroding the boundaries between these disciplines by implementing common methods of research and design. Since such research promises still greater and more revolutionary discoveries affecting almost every aspect of our work and daily life, it will inevitably attract more and more participants, leading in turn to the even stronger development of science. What does the near future hold for science? What form will it take, what will the world’s scientific map look like, which branches will develop most, and which opportunities for invention and discovery will progress the furthest? What is behind the rapid pace of development in scientific knowledge in recent times? And what will our world be like in the near and far-distant future? What kind of planet will we leave to our descendants?

Moderator:
Maxim Safonov — Director, Green Capital Alliance; Professor, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

Panellists:
Riccardo Valentini — Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Member of the Board of Directors, CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change); Professor, University of Tuscia
Andrey Kaprin — Director, Federal State Budgetary Institution National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
Alexander Nikitin — Head of Administration of Tambov Region
Olga Pilipenko — Rector, Oryol State University
Alexander Sergeev — President, Russian Academy of Sciences

Front row participants:
Arutyun Avetisyan — Director, Institute for System Programming of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Alexey Kalachev — Chief Executive Officer, Russia Convention Bureau

The rise of China and India is changing the entire world geopolitics. Previously, these countries were objects of competition and receivers of ideas and technologies, but now they are becoming the sources of expansion and entering competition with the traditional leaders. How does this change the future of today’s world? Can Russia capitalize on this tectonic shift? How will sanctions and trade wars influence the long-term strategies of China and India? Is their rise irreversible? What can Russia offer the new world geopolitics?

Moderator:
Timofei Bordachev — Director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Programme Director, The Valdai Discussion Club

Panellists:
Andrei Bystritsky — Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Fyodor Lukyanov — Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Chief Editor, Russia in Global Affairs Journal
Samir Saran — President, Observer Research Foundation
Lanxin Xiang — Professor, The Graduate Institute, Geneva; Director, Centre of One Belt and One Road Studies, China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation
Damdin Tsogtbaatar — Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia
Kim Jin Hyun — Chairman, World Peace Forum

The Far Eastern region is one of the key centres of the Russian mining industry. The volumes of metals extracted and produced there are growing year-on-year: in 2017, for instance, gold extraction in the Russian Far East grew by more than 7% to 140 tonnes, which represents more than half of all gold extracted nationally, while the rise in tin production exceeded 60%. As extraction volumes in the Russian Far East are increasing, so too are its infrastructure capabilities. These factors are naturally serving to increase the investment attractiveness of the region, both for domestic and for international investors. At the present time, a number of foreign companies are not only engaged in extracting and processing minerals, but are also involved in investment activity as they participate in merger and acquisition deals in the mining sector. Countries represented by these foreign investors include Canada, the USA, China, and India. As before, however, a number of restrictions remain in the domestic mining sector, hindering its development. What legislative reforms are necessary to increase the investment attractiveness of the Russian Far East’s mining sector? What are the current infrastructure limitations in the Russian Far East, and what can be done to resolve these at both the federal and regional levels?

Moderator:
Boris Yatsenko — Partner, Head of the Metals and Mining Group in Russia and the CIS, EY

Panellists:
Denis Alexandrov — Chief Executive Office, Russdragmet (Highland Gold Mining Ltd.)
Pavel Grachev — Chief Executive Officer, Polyus
Shiv Vikram Khemka — Vice Chairman, SUN Group
Artem Levin — General Director, Management Company Kolmar
Denis Khramov — First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Victor Kudinov — General Director, Regional Mining Company
Yury Makarov — General Director, Petropavlovsk – Iron Ore LLC
Claude Schimper — Regional Vice President for Russia, Kinross Gold Corporation

The majority of logistics chains between Europe and Asia today use the route through the Suez Canal. The system of Chinese government subsidies is helping to actively develop both overland services from China to Europe and transit routes from the Republic of Korea and Japan with transshipment in Chinese ports. Despite the existence of historical links between Russia and the majority of Central Asian countries, a significant portion of the transit to and from Asia-Pacific countries continues to bypass Russia. The geographical position of the Russian Far East is a significant competitive advantage that can be utilized to facilitate the transportation of a significant volume of cargo from the Asia-Pacific countries via routes that run through Russia. Increasing the volume of goods transported by intermodal services from China, South Korea, Japan, and other Asia-Pacific countries through the Russian Far East should become a priority, the resolution of which will make it feasible to use the existing capabilities of the region and create a foundation for building technologies to transport transit cargo. The volume of such cargo is set to increase fourfold by 2024, in accordance with a decree issued by the President of the Russian Federation. Is the advantage in the speed of delivery enough to switch import-export flows from Asia-Pacific countries to Russia over to routes that run through the Far East? What contribution can the Far East make to increasing transit volumes through Russian territory? How can new cargo delivery technologies accelerate the development of transit services through this region? What conditions and tools need to be created to attract cargoes that currently travel via alternative routes? Which mechanisms are needed to promote Russian transportation services in the Asia-Pacific region?

Moderator:
Alexandra Suvorova — Anchor, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Hyung Joon Koo — Senior Managing Director, HYUNDAI GLOVIS co.,ltd
Alexandrs Isurins — Chairman of the Executive Board, President, Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO)
Guotian Liu — President, Rizhao Port Group Co.
Timur Maksimov — Deputy Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Vyacheslav Saraev — Chief Executive Officer, Head of the Executive Board, TransContainer PJSC
Isao Takahashi — President, Toyo Trans Inc.

Front row participants:
Anna Belyaeva — Managing Director for International Development, Russian Export Center
Georgy Kolpachev — Deputy General Director, Far East Investment and Export Agency

For a number of years, Russia, South Korea, and North Korea have been discussing trilateral cooperation projects, including the construction of a Trans-Korean railway that joins the Trans-Siberian and construction of a gas pipeline and energy bridge into South Korea via China. Current improvements in the diplomatic situation are opening up new prospects for these projects. The key question is how and by whom will the risks associated with these projects be hedged?

Moderator:
Georgy Toloraya — Head of Project Analysis, Russkiy Mir Foundation; Head of Asian Strategy Centre, Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Panellists:
Song Young-gil — Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea; Chairman, Special Committee on Peace and Cooperation in Northeast Asia of the Democratic Party
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Alexander Medvedev — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprom
Alexander Misharin — First Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Russian Railways
Igor Morgulov — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Lee Sung Woo — Deputy President, Korea Maritime Institute
Kim Chang Sik — Deputy Director of the Department of the External Affairs, Ministry of Railways of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Kim Yun Hyok — Vice Minister of Railways of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Front row participants:
Woo Byong Yol — Director General of International Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea
Viktor Dobrosotskiy — Head of the Department of Regional Governance and National Policy, MGIMO University
Chung In-soo — Vice President, Korea Railroad Corporation
Aleksey Kaplun — Council Member, Non-profit Partnership for the Development of Renewable Energy "EUROSOLAR Russia"
Dmitriy Kiku — Expert, Panel of Experts Established Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1874 (2009), United Nations
Kan Se Hyok — Manager of the Department of the External Affairs, Ministry of Railways of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Kim Song Chol — Senior Manager of the Department of the External Affairs, Ministry of Railways of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Cheong Seung-Il — President, Chief Executive Officer, Korea Gas Corporation
Ivan Tonkih — General Director, RasonConTrans
Kim Jeong Ryeol — Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea

The number of advanced special economic zone (ASEZ) and Free Port residents has almost tripled in the course of the last year (from 454 to 1,200), indicating increased interest and readiness on the part of the business community to develop entrepreneurship in the Russian Far East. Although the results achieved by the ASEZ and Vladivostok Free Port regimes have been impressive, however, there remains a clear need to increase competitiveness in the international arena and improve existing tools. Practice has shown that a number of incentives are either inapplicable or not in demand, and that existing support measures are insufficient for implementing projects. What needs to be done in order to increase the competitiveness of incentive regimes, both within the country and at an international level? How can cooperation among residents be increased, and how can they be helped to bring their products to market? What measures must be taken to protect the rights of investors and remove administrative barriers? How can the processes involved in cooperating with investors be digitalized and consolidated?

Moderator:
Mikhail Orlov — Partner, Head of Tax and Legal, KPMG Russia

Panellists:
Vadim Zhivulin — Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Aleksey Kozlov — Managing Director, SIBUR
Sergey Kolesnikov — President, TechnoNICOL Corporation
Dmitry Kudinov — General Director, Mazda Sollers Manufacturing Rus
Boris Titov — Presidential Commissioner of the Russian Federation for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights
Denis Tikhonov — General Director, Corporation for Far East Development
Sergey Tyrtsev — First Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Nikolay Kharitonov — Chairman of the Committee for Regional Policy and Issues of the North and Far East, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Anna Tsivileva — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolmar Group

Front row participants:
Dmitry Alexeev — General Director, DNS
Vladimir Valter — Chief Executive Officer, Terminal Seroglazka
Yevgeny Virtser — General Director, INSYSTEMS
Denis Gros — Executive Director, Avangard Industrial Park LLC
Alexander Lopatnikov — General Director, Marine Aquaculture Ho Xiang LLC
Dmitry Makarenko — General Director, Artayar
Irina Olkhovskaya — First Deputy General Director - Commercial Director, Port Management Company
Denis Sarana — Member of the Board of Directors, JSC “Vladivostok Sea Fishing Port”
Alexander Shumatov — General Director, Children’s Health Centre

High-tech products account for less than 15% of the Russian Far East’s GRP. Meanwhile, the Far Eastern Federal District remains fifth for innovative development among Russia’s federal districts, and is failing to attract investment in high-tech projects from direct investment and venture capital funds. At the same time, a wide range of major companies and corporations operating in the Russian Far East are actively implementing innovations and purposefully increasing the share of high-tech products in their overall output. What prospects exist for creating a competitive business environment for the high-tech sector? How can a competitive ecosystem be established for developing innovation and high-tech projects in the Russian Far East which is equivalent in scale to those found in other Asia-Pacific region countries? What are the priorities of the Far Eastern Fund for Developing and Implementing High Technology?

Moderator:
Dmitry Peskov — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Digital and Technological Development; Director of the Young Professionals direction, Agency for Strategic Initiatives

Panellists:
Vasily Brovko — Director for Special Commissions, Russian Technologies State Corporation (Rostec)
Dmitry Golovanov — Chairman of the Board, Member of the Supervisory Board, SME Bank JSC
Kirill Kaem — Senior Vice-President for Innovations, Skolkovo Foundation
Denis Manturov — Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Aysen Nikolaev — Acting Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Alexander Povalko — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, RVC
Alexey Rakhmanov — President, United Shipbuilding Corporation
Ruslan Sarkisov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East High Technologies Fund LLC
Oleg Teplov — Chief Executive Officer, VEB Innovation LLC
Vadim Shvetsov — Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors, SOLLERS
Sergey Emdin — Chief Executive Officer, Tele2

Front row participant:
Dmitry Zemtsov — Head of the National Technology Initiative working group on developing continuing and non-formal education, Study Group Movement

There can be no rapid economic development without smooth integration of new market participants into the economic and legal environment. To a significant extent, the attractiveness of the Far East is dependent on the competitive conditions it has created for investment and doing business. The most important of these are the tax incentives available in advanced special economic zones (ASEZs) and Vladivostok Free Port, and the special services offered to investors. The ease and convenience of registering a project, and indeed a business, as well as the emphasis on customer service, a risk-oriented approach, and the transparency of the tax authorities in the region, give residents of ASEZs and Vladivostok Free Port and investors confidence in the region’s tax regime and tax support for businesses. How can we develop a sense of partnership between taxpayers and tax authorities? How might the digitalization of tax administration and electronic services contribute to this? What benefits might a business enjoy from legally declaring its tax base? What more could be done to create investment and business standards in the Russian Far East that are competitive with standards across the Asia-Pacific region? What pilot projects could be implemented in the field of tax administration and cooperation between tax authorities and businesses? How can we improve mechanisms for increasing the competitiveness of tax-compliant businesses and integrate tax technologies into the digital business environment? What impact might technological and legislative solutions have on this?

Moderator:
Alexey Repik — President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

Panellists:
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Alexey Kalitsev — Managing Director, Hyundai Motor Company/CIS LLC
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Alexander Mechetin — Chairman of the Executive Board, Beluga Group
Mikhail Mishustin — Head, Federal Tax Service (FTS of Russia)
Andrey Tarasenko — Acting Governor of Primorsky Territory
Daniele Troisi — Director for Global Tax Policy, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd

Front row participant:
Vasily Orlov — Acting Governor of Amur Region

A competitive national legal system represents new opportunities for national business and foreign investors. Russia presently faces the challenge of creating a legal system which will improve the competitiveness of its national jurisdiction for domestic and foreign business. It is vital to build a unified and streamlined legal system, where regional and local legislation is organically integrated into a common concept which does not collide with, but rather rationally complements federal legislation. The development of the digital economy is a chance to put in place the conditions needed to ensure the transparency of judicial proceedings, improving trust in Russian courts as it does so. Together with the introduction of new technologies into the judicial system, issues surrounding the development of an extrajudicial system for regulating disputes and the competence of representatives of the national judiciary also remain current.
To what extent is the competitiveness of the national jurisdiction affected by the pressure of sanctions, and what measures are essential to ensure legal protection for business?

Moderator:
Vladimir Gruzdev — Chairman of the Board, Association of Lawyers of Russia

Panellists:
Duong Thanh Bak — Vice President, Vietnam Lawyers Association
Elena Bezdenezhnykh — Vice President for Regional Policy and Government and Administration Relations, United Company RUSAL Plc
Victoria Bortkevicha — Head of the Branch, Clifford Chance CIS Limited
Andrey Gorlenko — Executive Administrator, Russian Arbitration Centre at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration
Aleksandr Shenderyuk-Zhidkov — Director, Sodruzhestvo

Front row participants:
Elena Avakyan — Executive Director, Non-Profit Partnership for Advancement of Corporate Law; Counsel, Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners
Olga Boltenko — Partner, Fangda Partners
Aleksei Dudko — Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution Practice, Hogan Lovells CIS

The strategy of the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in on cooperating with regions to the north is intended to create the necessary conditions to encourage Russian–Korean trade, economic, and investment cooperation in the Russian Far East. The joint implementation of the ‘Nine Bridges’ concept has been proposed as part of this policy, including cooperation in such areas as energy and gas, the Northern Sea Route, the development of agriculture, seafood production, etc. At present, six investment projects that are partly funded by the Republic of Korea (to the tune of over USD 50 million in total) are being pursued under the new mechanisms for developing the Russian Far East. South Korean companies are discussing the possibility of funding and carrying out promising new projects worth a total of USD 1.1 billion. The implementation of the ‘Nine Bridges’ partnership concept should give a new impetus to the growth of trade and investment cooperation between the regions of the Russian Far East and the Republic of Korea. How can we move from diplomacy to the practical implementation of investment projects, including under the aegis of the ‘Nine Bridges’ cooperation concept? What barriers hamper the implementation of Russian–Korean investment projects? Which areas are the most promising for jumpstarting Russian–Korean business dialogue?

Moderators:
Sergey Katyrin — President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Kim Young Ju — Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Korea International Trade Association

Welcoming address:
Lee Nak-yon — Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea

Panellists:
Vitaly Verkeenko — Mayor of Vladivostok
Choi Won Bo — General Director, Lotte International Primorsky Branch
Olga Golodets — Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Olga Epifanova — Deputy Chair, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Lee Kang-deok — Mayor of Pohang Metropolitan City
Alexander Misharin — First Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Russian Railways
Vadim Moshkovich — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rusagro
Alexey Rakhmanov — President, United Shipbuilding Corporation
Ka Sam-hyun — President, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd
Gu Hyun-Mo — Director, Chief Strategy Officer, KT Corporation
Jae-Young Lee — President, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy
Song Cheol-ho — Mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City

Russia has numerous different tools for creating a favourable business environment and encouraging cooperation with entrepreneurs. Until recently, however, these processes have not been centralized. In 2018, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, together with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and leading business associations, launched a new mechanism for managing systemic changes in the business environment, called ‘Transforming the business climate’, a tool which allows government departments to respond promptly to queries from the business community. It facilitates the removal of existing barriers to doing business. The new mechanism strengthens the role of entrepreneurs at every stage: from setting up initiatives to monitoring their implementation. But what kinds of tools really do help businesses? What kinds of problems requiring improvements to regulations do entrepreneurs face? How can processes be synchronized in order to improve the business environment? What should the ‘Transforming the business climate’ mechanism include?

Moderator:
Alexander Ivlev — Country Managing Partner for CIS, EY

Panellists:
Alex de Valukhoff — General Director, Aggreko Eurasia
Vadim Zhivulin — Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Shiv Vikram Khemka — Vice Chairman, SUN Group
Christopher Miller — Program Leader, World Bank Russian Federation
Alexander Shokhin — President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

Front row participants:
Mikhail Khomich — Deputy Prime Minister, Udmurt Republic
Yury Chayka — First Deputy Chair of the Government of Khabarovsk Territory for Investment and Priority Projects
Andrey Shubin — Executive Director, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA

Russia’s pivot east has long been perceived as a technological move, if not a technical process. The discussion centres around developing economic ties and integrating Russia into regional manufacturing, sales, and technology chains. But the ideological dimension of this pivot is no less important. The Russian elite and Russian society should come to believe that the relationship with Asia is a serious and long-term shift. The essence of this new phase lies in consolidating technological achievements and reflecting on the new policy in the context of the domestic perception of Pacific Russia’s role in the country’s development and international standing.

Moderator:
Stanislav Natanzon — Anchor, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Leonid Blyakher — Professor, Head of the Department of Philosophy and Culturology, Pacific National University
Timofei Bordachev — Director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Programme Director, The Valdai Discussion Club
Andrei Bystritsky — Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Sergey Karaganov — Dean, Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Honorary Chairman of the Presidium, Council on Foreign and Defence Policy
Viktor Larin — Director, Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East, Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHAE FEBRAS)
Fyodor Lukyanov — Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Chief Editor, Russia in Global Affairs Journal

The concept of sci-tech progress encompasses the joint development of both science and technology, the invention and spread of new technologies, and new scientific discoveries. Progress in any one area is closely linked to all others: social development helps nurture new forward-thinking minds that will go on to enrich various industries, which then facilitates the creation of new opportunities for satisfying material demands. Sci-tech progress is highly influenced by the economy: researchers fear that developments in certain areas of science and even medicine will stall because they’re not economically profitable. For example, medicines for rare diseases might not make it to the necessary experimental and trial stages because of the high costs and low profits involved. In the last 200 years, progress has moved swiftly, ever accelerating, driving breath-taking social developments while also depleting the planet’s resources. The nine federal subjects that make up the Russian Far East account for almost 40% of the country’s territory, but only 5% of the population lives on these approximately six thousand square kilometres. The population density of the Russian Far East is 40 times smaller than in the European part of Russia. How can the Russian Far East be made even more appealing? Where should the priorities lie: in improving the region’s standards of living or in large energy and infrastructure projects? Can the Russian Far East become attractive and competitive while keeping up with its foreign neighbours when it comes to the implementation of large sci-tech projects?

Moderator:
Leonid Altukhov — President, Group of Companies Netkom-IPC

Panellists:
Marat Biktimirov — General Director, E-Arena National Association of Research and Educational e-Infrastructures
Riccardo Valentini — Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Member of the Board of Directors, CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change); Professor, University of Tuscia
Pavel Grachev — Chief Executive Officer, Polyus
Alexander Sergeev — President, Russian Academy of Sciences

In 2018, the first investment projects were selected as part of a programme to fill investment quotas in the fishing industry. As a result, the successful companies have now been assigned quotas in exchange for the obligatory construction of ten seafood processing plants with a total processing capacity of more than 300,000 tonnes annually, as well as nine fishing vessels to be built at Russian shipyards. These projects alone will serve to double processing production, but the result will remain far from the global figures achieved by the major fishing countries. The sector possesses significant potential for growth. A new 15-year period for assigning quota shares will begin in 2019, and now is the time to determine the key rules and discuss possible changes required to develop the sector. What changes can the sector anticipate in this new period? What structural changes must be incorporated in order to stimulate active investment by sector participants and reduce investment risks? How can 100% implementation of ‘investment quota’ projects be ensured, and what are the associated risks? What modern products should be produced and how can these be promoted?

Moderator:
Yermolai Solzhenitsyn — Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company

Panellists:
Alexey Baygushin — Chairman of the Board of Directors, JSC Managing Company Dalnevostochny Rybak; Co-owner, Interrybflot
Sergey Darkin — President, Pacific Investment Group (TIGR) PJSC
Alexander Efremov — Managing Director, Dobroflot Group of Companies
German Zverev — President, All-Russian Association of Fisheries Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters
Fedor Kirsanov — General Director, Russian Fishery Company LLC
Dmitry Pashov — President, Moneron
Ilya Shestakov — Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation; Head, Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

Front row participants:
Sergey Gudkov — Executive Director, Fish Union
Aleksandr Duplyakov — President, Crab Catchers Association of the Far East
Mikhail Trushin — Deputy General Director for Economics, Pella JSC

Trade between Russia and ASEAN countries grew 35% in 2017, but the potential for trade, economic, and investment cooperation is not being fully utilized. The Far East could provide a foothold enabling Russia to intensify its economic cooperation with the ASEAN. The region already possesses favourable conditions for international investment. A number of infrastructure, agricultural, and shipbuilding projects are now underway in the Far East with the participation of ASEAN countries. Promising areas for cooperation also include energy, infrastructure development, the agroindustrial sector, engineering, technology, and forestry. The digital transformation of the economy is a priority for both Russia and the ASEAN. It is therefore important to focus on developing cooperation in information and communications technologies, the media, and data security. What problems and challenges need to be addressed to successfully develop economic cooperation between the ASEAN and Russia? In which industries do projects have the largest investment potential? What changes and what kinds of support are required to attract investment from ASEAN businesses?

Moderator:
Ivan Polyakov — Chairman, Russia - ASEAN Business Council

Panellists:
Sakon Varanyuwatana — Vice Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand
Sergey Katyrin — President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Sergey Komyshan — Member of the Management Board, Executive Director, SIBUR
Artem Malgin — Vice Rector, MGIMO University
Leonid Petukhov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East Investment and Export Agency
Carlos Sorreta — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines in the Russian Federation
Nguyen Chi Dung — Minister of Planning and Investment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Sergey Tsivilev — Acting Governor of the Kemerovo Region
Brian Chang — Director, Singapore Oil and Energy
Alexey Shevtsov — Managing Director, Head of Blockchain Technology Development, State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Front row participants:
Anna Belyaeva — Managing Director for International Development, Russian Export Center
Ju Khee Hong — Director of Operations, ASEAN Business Club

Developing international transport corridors in the Russian Far East is one of the priorities for government transport policy. Russian railways are a central component of the Eurasian rail network, connecting the railway systems of Europe and East Asia. Contemporary economic processes, including trends in the development of global trade and changes in traditional global economic relations, are creating opportunities for the effective use of Russia’s unique logistics potential due to its geographic location, and for the joint strengthening of economic ties both at the regional level and on the East–West axis. Currently, there is rapid growth of transit traffic from East Asia to Europe and vice versa, and an extensive programme is being implemented to develop Russian railways in the east of the country, including modernization of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). A project is underway to build a railway link to the island of Sakhalin. Russia and Japan are among the biggest trading partners. The creation of a transport link from Sakhalin to the island of Hokkaido through La Pérouse Strait, which would open up entirely new opportunities for the socioeconomic development of the two countries, is viewed as promising. What kind of problems do Japanese shippers face today? What measures are being taken to boost the use of rail services and the Trans-Siberian Railway? How should ‘seamless’ logistics (sea–port–railway) be developed? What kind of logistics infrastructure is needed? What will completing the project to build a direct rail link bring to Sakhalin? Travelling by train from Tokyo to London: is it a dream, or tomorrow’s reality?

Moderator:
Andrey Sharonov — President, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO

Panellists:
Emil Kaikiyev — Member of the Board – Minister in Charge of Energy and Infrastructure of the Eurasian Economic Commission
Hisao Nakajima — Senior Managing Director, Nomura Reseach Institute Ltd
Vyacheslav Saraev — Chief Executive Officer, Head of the Executive Board, TransContainer PJSC
Isao Takahashi — President, Toyo Trans Inc.
Vadim Shvetsov — Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors, SOLLERS
Aleksey Shilo — Director of Commerce Activities, General Director of the Centre of Corporate Transportation Services, Russian Railways

Front row participant:
Dmitry Mezentsev — Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy

The Russian Far East possesses 30% of the Asia-Pacific region’s timber reserves. At present, however, only 18% of its 90 million cubic metres of timber are utilized annually. The forestry industry, which retains a focus on raw material exports, accounts for no more than 1.5% of the regional economy. In 2018, the rules for doing business in the Far Eastern forestry sector changed. Firstly, new conditions have entered into force that make forestry resources available to major investors planning to develop regional processing capacity. Secondly, export duties for companies exporting only round timber will gradually be increased from 25% to 80%. What needs to be done to increase the amount of investment per hectare of forest? Is it advisable to vary state support measures for forestry projects depending upon the degree of raw timber processing involved, and how exactly should this be done? How can the economic performance of projects to develop forests and build forest infrastructure be improved?

Moderator:
Igor Prutov — Partner, Transaction Advisory Services, EY

Panellists:
Viktor Evtukhov — State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Mikhail Klinov — Deputy Head, Federal Agency for Forestry
Konstantin Lashkevich — President, RFP Holding
Suresh Prabhu — Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India
Aleksandr Pudovkin — General Director, Asia Forest

Front row participants:
Dmitry Olkhovik — Head, Forestry Management at the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
Vera Podguzova — Managing Director of External Communications, Russian Export Center
Aleksey Ryzhikov — Managing Director, Saint-Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Ma Zhizhong — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jolanpu; Member of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Hao

The world our children are growing up in is changing significantly faster than it did in decades past. Developments in IT, cyberspace, and electronic payment systems are emerging so quickly that children are starting to master them faster than their parents are able to. This can lead to two possible outcomes: either parents place unreasonable restrictions on their children, who can easily find ways around them, or children have unrestricted access to information which may be harmful to them. How can we protect children without inhibiting their development of the skills they clearly need to be successful in our contemporary world? How can we harness the enthusiasm of today’s children for smartphones, computers, and other gadgets and turn it to their benefit? What approaches have forward-thinking parents and society already developed to tackle this issue?

Moderator:
Sophie Shevardnadze — Journalist, Anchor

Panellists:
Aleksandra Altuhova — Director of Special Solution Division, Sberbank
Marina Borovskaya — Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Alexander Borodich — Founder, Universa Blockchain Platform; Founder, Child Tech
Tatyana Mineeva — Vice President, Committee for Ecology, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia); Chairman, Public Council at the Department of Education of Moscow
Dmitry Peskov — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Digital and Technological Development; Director of the Young Professionals direction, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Marina Rakova — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Foundation for Educational Development
Aleksey Sokolov — Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation
Svetlana Tarasenko — Member of the Organizing Committee, Children of Primorye Social Project

The 2018 Russian Regional Investment Climate Index shows that Russia’s Far Eastern regions have produced some impressive results, including an increase in the total number of points across the whole Index which was 1.5 times better the national average, Khabarovsk Territory featuring among the top 20 regions for the first time, and Sakhalin Region appearing among the top three growth regions and demonstrating the most dynamic trajectory of all regions in the federal district. How can collaboration be developed between regional governments, regional departments of federal executive bodies, and business associations in order to keep improving the investment climate in the Far Eastern Federal District? What policy changes are regional leaders planning to make in order to improve the investment climate? In the opinion of entrepreneurs, what positive and negative changes have taken place in the regions of the Russian Far East over the past year? What are the major needs and requirements of business with respect to the regional authorities right now?

Moderator:
Andrey Sharonov — President, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO

Panellists:
Andrei Belousov — Aide to the President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Ilyukhin — Governor of Kamchatskiy Territory
Oleg Kozhemyako — Governor of Sakhalin Region
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Roman Kopin — Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Area
Alexander Levintal — Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region
Aysen Nikolaev — Acting Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Sergey Nosov — Acting Governor of Magadan Region
Vasily Orlov — Acting Governor of Amur Region
Andrey Tarasenko — Acting Governor of Primorsky Territory
Robert Urazov — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for the Development of Professional Communities and Skilled Workers (WorldSkills Russia)
Svetlana Chupsheva — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Vyacheslav Shport — Governor of Khabarovsk Territory

In Russia’s agroindustrial sector, exports are becoming key: as agricultural import substitution programmes reach their targets, the future growth of agricultural production will be secured by satisfying demand in export markets. The most promising markets for global agricultural production are those of the Asia-Pacific region, and of East Asia in particular, the geographical neighbour of a Russian Far East which is rapidly developing its own agricultural production and output of food products. Which agricultural goods in demand in major Asia-Pacific countries is the Russian Far East ready to offer? Which markets have the most potential for the increase of Russian agricultural exports? How can sanitary restrictions be lifted and the regionalization of the Russian Federation’s constituent entities be achieved? What conditions must be created in the Russian Far East for Asia-Pacific investors and trading partners? How can effective sales channels be established in the Asia-Pacific region for products from the Russian Far East?

Moderator:
Albert Davleev — President, Agrifood Strategies

Panellists:
Maxim Basov — Chief Executive Officer, Rusagro Group of Companies
Gerard Birkbeck — General Director, Kangrow
Sun Guoqiang — President, Zhongding Dairy Farming Co., Ltd
Mikhail Krylov — General Director, MKR Capital
Sergey Levin — Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
Andrey Slepnev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Export Center
Aleksandr Shenderyuk-Zhidkov — Director, Sodruzhestvo

Front row participants:
Ivan Sleptsov — Rector, Yakut State Agricultural Academy FSBEI HE
Nikolay Kharitonov — Chairman of the Committee for Regional Policy and Issues of the North and Far East, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

The next two Olympic Games are taking place in the Asia-Pacific region: the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020 and the Winter Games in 2022 in Beijing; the 2018 Winter Games took place in PyeongChang. The influence enjoyed by representatives of Asia-Pacific countries in international sporting organizations has grown significantly in recent years, and Asia-Pacific companies have become leading sponsors of the IOC, FIFA, and the organizing committees of other sporting federations, and are investing in the purchase of top clubs and sporting infrastructure in Europe. Taking these circumstances into account, this session could become a landmark event in the formation of a consolidated position among Asia-Pacific countries in the field of sport, and in the strengthening of Russia’s standing in international sporting organizations.

Moderator:
Alexander Ivlev — Country Managing Partner for CIS, EY

Panellists:
Marius Vizer — President, International Judo Federation (IJF)
Zhongwen Gou — Minister of Sport, General Administration of Sport of China (GASC); President, Chinese Olympic Committee (COC)
Dagvadorj Dolgorsuren — Special Representative of the President of Mongolia for Mongolian-Japanese cooperation; The 68th Yokozuna in History of Sumo
Aleksandr Karelin — Member of the Committee on Energy, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Three-Time Olympic Champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling
Pavel Kolobkov — Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation
Igor Levitin — Aide to the President of the Russian Federation; Deputy Chairman, Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport
James Macleod — Associate Director of Relations with the Olympic Movement, International Olympic Committee
Stanislav Pozdnyakov — President, Russian Olympic Committee
Yu Chang — Director of Media and Communications, Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Taken as a whole, Asia accounts for more than half of the world’s population and over 30% of global GDP, with economic growth rates in China and the Asia-Pacific region set to rise significantly above the global average within the next 10 years. Analysts forecast that by 2030, three of the world’s five largest economies will be located in Asia, and that, taking population growth in China into account, by the mid-2030s the region will be home to one in two people on the planet. One-sided coverage of global events by leading Western media agencies over recent decades has created a distorted picture of the world, which is increasingly contradicting the real processes at work in global politics and economics. This is most noticeable in Asia, which, in spite of impressive economic growth, still remains in the shadow of the West in information terms, with Western media organizations maintaining a monopoly on the interpretation of the events and processes taking place in the region. The key challenge facing media organizations in Asian countries today is the need to fully and objectively portray the importance of processes taking place in the region, which hold enormous significance for the global agenda, and to help foster global economic, political, and cultural cooperation. What prospects are there for the development of Asian media organizations and for transforming these organizations into influential actors in shaping the global information space? Is it possible to overcome the de facto monopoly currently enjoyed by Western media organizations on the interpretation of events taking place in the region and the world, and what must be done in order to achieve this?

Moderator:
Fyodor Lukyanov — Research Director, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Chief Editor, Russia in Global Affairs Journal

Panellists:
Dmitriy Kiseliev — General Director, International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya
Alexander Malkevich — First Deputy Chairman, Commission of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation on Development of the Information Community, Mass Media and Mass Communications; Project Manager, USA Really
Samir Saran — President, Observer Research Foundation
Vladimir Solovyov — Chairman, Russian Union of Journalists
Shen Haixiong — President, China Media Group

Thanks to the joint measures that have been taken over the past year, the Russian Far East has developed much closer relationships with the Japanese business community, and there is every reason to expect that projects will move to the practical implementation stage in the coming year. In the Far East, 14 investment projects involving Japan are being implemented. On 27 April, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an agreement was signed to create a joint Russian–Japanese platform to support Japanese investments in the Russian Far East. The platform is accompanied by eight projects with total investment of more than USD 120 million. What support has the Russian Government provided for the projects that are being implemented? What changes are needed to attract additional investment from Japanese businesses? Will the platform act as a successful tool for attracting Japanese capital to the Far East?

Moderators:
Shigeru Murayama — President, Japan Association for Trade with Russia and the NIS (ROTOBO); Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Alexey Repik — President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

Panellists:
Teruo Asada — Chair, Japan-Russia Business Cooperation Committee, Keidanren; Chairman of the Board of Directors, Marubeni Corporation
Kirill Dmitriev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)
Masami Iijima — Representative Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mitsui & Co., Ltd
Eiichi Yonekura — Representative Director, Senior Executive Vice President, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation
Tadashi Maeda — Governor of the Board of Directors, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
Alexander Misharin — First Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Russian Railways
Aysen Nikolaev — Acting Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Takao Nishida — Deputy Secretary General, Hokuto Social Medical Corporation
Maxim Oreshkin — Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Tatsuya Terazawa — Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan for International Affairs
Sergey Tsivilev — Acting Governor of the Kemerovo Region
Vadim Shvetsov — Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors, SOLLERS

Front row participants:
Grigory Berezkin — Chairman of the Board of Directors, ESN Group
Satsuki Katayama — Director of the Special Committee on Reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake, House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan
Aleksandr Nosov — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Investments and Strategic Planning, Russian Highways State Company
Koji Omi — Founder, Chairman, Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS forum)

Exponential technological development across all industries is changing the economy and human relations, blurring distinctions between the real and the virtual. We are making rapid strides toward a world where artificial intelligence, bio- and nanotechnology are just as commonplace as smartphones have been these past 10 years. Keeping up with the pace of changes in a transitional world is a challenge. As is usually the case in times of dramatic transformations, it is the young who prove to be better at adjusting to the new reality, more tech-savvy and successful in their careers. They become “guides” for older people in the new world. The prestige of “digital professions” and the benefits of education are becoming increasingly pronounced year after year. Training is more and more personalized. What is the ideal model of a university that helps to unleash a student’s “digital potential”? Digital skills are universal, and they often replace traditional ones instead of complementing them. Many educational resources and technologies are free of charge. That said, the overabundance of information encourages mosaic thinking and substitutes real education with an illusion of knowledge. How should the educational system adjust to the global digitalization? What skills and knowledge will still be relevant in 10-20 year?

Moderator:
Herman Gref — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank

Panellists:
Marina Borovskaya — Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Valeria Zabolotnaya — Managing Director, School 21
Ivan Kolomoyets — Chief Executive Director, Co-Founder, Uchi.ru
Pyotr Polozhevets — Editor-in-Chief, Uchitelskaya Gazeta (Teachers’ Gazette), an Independent Pedagogical Publication
Elvira Shamonova — General Director, Khabarovsk Territorial Education Centre

As technology has developed, experts have increasingly begun to talk about the prospect of digitalization, particularly with regard to the world of finance. Cryptocurrencies, like shares and futures, have already begun to reflect the value of all kinds of business asset. Digitalization means that companies in the Russian Far East can not only reduce their counterparty transaction costs, but also attract major investors into the economy. However, there are currently a number of regulatory and infrastructure-related hurdles impeding the development of new digital technologies and e-commerce. What are the prospects for the digital economy in the real sector of the Far Eastern economy? What should regulation of the tokenized economy look like? How should e-commerce operate? Which major companies and corporations are already introducing new technologies into their production cycles? What is an ICO? What impact might ICOs have on economic development?

Moderator:
Tatiana Remezova — Anchor, Vesti News Show, All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

Panellists:
Anatoliy Bobrakov — Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Andrey Bugrov — Senior Vice President, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, MMC Norilsk Nickel; Vice President, Interros Holding Company CJSC
Sergei Glazyev — Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation
Sergey Zhigarev — Chairman, State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, Innovative Development, and Entrepreneurship
Stanislav Kuznetsov — Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank
Sergey Mytenkov — Vice President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)
Elina Sidorenko — Leader of the Work Group for the Assessment of Risks Associated with Cryptocurrencies, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Cossar Sohail — Executive Operation Director, Bitlish Ltd.
Dmitry Ufaev — Chief Executive Officer, Bitfury Russia
Julia Charlton — Partner, Solicitor, Charltons
Alexey Shevtsov — Managing Director, Head of Blockchain Technology Development, State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Front row participants:
Nikolai Legkodimov — Director, KPMG in Russia and the CIS
Aleksey Mostovshchikov — Co-chairman of Magadan Regional Division, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)

As protectionist sentiments are on the rise and trade conflicts escalating, countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond are still trying to adhere to the principles of joint economic development through economic integration. The slowing rate of growth in the number of concluded agreements in recent years can be explained by a number of factors: there is a shift to better quality integration processes; existing agreements are being expanded to cover new areas; and agreements are being concluded with a greater number of participants in a bid to align and improve the rules of the game. A number of events have confirmed this trend: the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which was based on the Trans-Pacific Partnership project; the completion of negotiations on the agreement to create a free trade area (FTA) between the EU and Japan; and the launch of negotiations between the EU and Australia as well as New Zealand. The rules and agreements formulated within the framework of the new generation of agreements are aimed primarily at eliminating non-tariff barriers to trade and harmonizing countries’ internal regulations. But will the new agreements create conditions for the formation of truly open markets, or are they no more than smoke and mirrors that do nothing to change the political statements and unfolding trade wars affecting the largest markets? Will the trend to establish new FTAs be able to hold its own against countervailing tendencies that seek to undermine trade and the emergence of new trade flows looking for sales markets to substitute for lost ones? How serious are these trends? And what line of conduct should the Eurasian Economic Union pursue: enhance an open trade policy to counter protectionism or, on the contrary, close sensitive markets to prevent them from being flooded with overproduced global goods?

Moderator:
Tigran Sargsyan — Chairman of the Board, Eurasian Economic Commission

Panellists:
Alexander Daniltsev — Director, Institute for Trade Policy, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Veronika Nikishina — Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission
Andrey Slepnev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Export Center
Antonio Fallico — President, Conoscere Eurasia Association; Chairman, Board of Directors, Banca Intesa
Jae-Young Lee — President, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy
Alexander Shokhin — President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

The level of old and dilapidated housing in the Russian Far East is very high, accounting for 6% of the total housing stock in 2016, which is more than two-and-a-half times higher than the average for Russia. Public infrastructure in the Far Eastern Federal District is characterized by the fact that utility networks and facilities are in a decrepit state, and there is a lack of capacity to cover even the existing loads, which means that its operation is cost intensive. The proportion of the housing stock that has access to plumbing in the Far Eastern Federal District is 75%, compared with a Russian average of 81.5%. Only 62% of the housing stock in the macroregion is served by a hot water supply system, whereas the average Russian rate is 68%. Changing the situation will require a national project that includes special measures for the accelerated development of the macroregion and the necessary funding, including in such areas as special mortgage products, provision of housing for young families, remediation of dilapidated housing, and elimination of the period that citizens who are leaving the regions of the Far North and other equivalent localities must wait to receive housing subsidies. What measures should be taken as part of the national project? How can the Russian Far East be brought up to the same level as the rest of the country? How much money will be needed?

Moderator:
Vasily Savin — Partner, Head of Power and Utilities, KPMG in Russia and the CIS

Panellists:
Dmitriy Berdnikov — Mayor of Irkutsk City
Alex de Valukhoff — General Director, Aggreko Eurasia
Alexey Muratov — Partner, KB Strelka
Alexander Plutnik — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, DOM.RF
Igor Shuvalov — Chairman, State Corporation "Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)"
Vladimir Yakushev — Minister of Construction, Housing, and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Andrey Levykin — Director of Far East Branch, MegaFon
Aleksey Struchkov — First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Sakha(Yakutia)
Dmitriy Tetenkin — Adviser to the Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Hideyuki Yamada — Senior Consultant, Nomura Research Institute Ltd.

The Asia-Pacific region already has the fastest growing economy in the world. The same trend is emerging in the energy sector: the majority of growth in demand for both oil and gas between now and 2035 is set to come from China and India. The competitiveness of mineral extraction and, most importantly, the availability of infrastructure are key to ensuring stable and reliable supply to this promising region. Russia has huge potential thanks to its geographic location and wealth of natural resources. What are the prospects and challenges facing us as a result of rapid technological development, a new wave of protectionism, and the shift of economic centres to the Asia-Pacific region?

Moderator:
Keir Simmons — Correspondent, NBC News

Panellists:
Yinbiao Shu — Chairman, State Grid Corporation of China
Alexander Medvedev — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprom
Alexander Novak — Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation
Lev Feodosyev — First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, NOVATEK
Sergey Frank — President, Chief Executive Officer, PAO Sovcomflot
Tetsuhiro Hosono — Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation

The introduction of digital technologies in international transport corridors gives the Far East, and Russia as a whole, a leading position as a major transit artery between Asia and Europe. The creation of a single, trusted space in Greater Eurasia, the digitalization of border crossings, the introduction of unmanned, autonomous infrastructure, and the development of multimodal transport including the ability to book shipments through a ‘single window’ with full electronic document management will provide a breakthrough for increased global trade and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Which existing IT solutions can become a foundation for establishing a new standard of digital international corridors? When will it be possible to pilot such a standard in the Primorye-2 corridor (Changchun – Jilin – Hunchun – Zarubino Port – sea routes)? How can the development of infrastructure for international transport corridors be coordinated while taking account of the interests of all countries in the region? How can IT market leaders and investment from the Asia-Pacific region be attracted to global logistics projects in the Russian Far East?

Moderator:
Evgeniy Ditrikh — Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Maxim Akimov — Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Rashid Alimov — Secretary General, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Oleg Belozerov — Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board, Russian Railways
Anton Zamkov — General Director, RT-Invest Transport Systems LLC; Representative, Digital Transport and Logistics Association
Sergei Ivanov — Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport
Timur Maksimov — Deputy Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Viktor Parakhin — Deputy General Director, ZaschitaInfoTrans of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation FSUE
Suresh Prabhu — Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India
Bayin Chaolu — First Secretary, Jilin Provincial Committee (People’s Republic of China), Communist Party of China
Sergey Chemarda — Board Member, DP World Russia
Qingwei Zhang — First Secretary of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee (People’s Republic of China), Communist Party of China

Front row participants:
Alexandrs Isurins — Chairman of the Executive Board, President, Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO)
Dmitry Mezentsev — Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy
Dmitry Pronchatov — Deputy Head, Federal Road Agency
Roman Sklyar — First Vice Minister for Investments and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Vsevolod Smakov — Managing Director - Head of Directorate for Industry, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)
Zhu Xian — Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, New Development Bank
Moisei Furshchik — Academic Advisor, Academic and Consulting Center ''Logistics and Supply Chain Management", Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation

During the 3rd Eastern Economic Forum in 2017, entrepreneurs from the Russian Far East asked hard-hitting questions about the protection of their rights in disputes with regulatory bodies. The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia and the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East have set up a working group on protecting investors’ rights, which has identified numerous violations in the work of customs, tax, and veterinary authorities in the region. Following these investigations, systemic solutions have been adopted. ‘Anti-rankings’ of regulatory bodies with respect to investors in the Russian Far East: what responsibility should these bear? What is the working group on protecting investors’ rights planning to focus on going forward? What innovations are regulatory bodies in the Russian Far East planning to introduce?

Moderator:
Alexey Bobrovsky — Head of the Economic Programme, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Olga Epifanova — Deputy Chair, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
David John Ogilvie Cruickshank — Chairman, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
Kliment Rusakomsky — Managing Partner, Founder, Law Group PARADIGMA
Boris Titov — Presidential Commissioner of the Russian Federation for the Protection of Entrepreneurs’ Rights
Yury Chayka — Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation

It has already been two years since the first residents of the Far East received land under the Far Eastern Hectare programme, and over the last 18 months, it has been rolled out on a national level. The programme provides a simplified procedure for obtaining a plot of land in comparison with the typical process. The main advantage of the programme is that it makes it easier to acquire land. The success of the programme points to a further need to develop the ways in which land plots are used, including in ways that foster entrepreneurship. What are the success stories of the Far Eastern Hectare programme? How should the programme be developed in the future? What factors limit the development of the programme? What support measures should be considered?

Moderator:
Irina Lutskovskaya — Special Correspondent, GTRK Dalnevostochnaya

Panellists:
Marina Dedyushko — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Roman Kapinos — Deputy Chairman of the Board, SME Bank
Alexey Uspenskiy — Minister of Economic Development of the Sakhalin Region
Sergei Khovrat — General Director, Agency for the Development of Human Capital in the Far Eastern Federal District
Yury Chayka — First Deputy Chair of the Government of Khabarovsk Territory for Investment and Priority Projects

Modern biotechnologies, including synthetic biology and genome editing, are currently some of the most promising growth areas in science and the economy. In many countries of the world, including the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, bioengineering projects are receiving support from national governments. Genetic engineering has opened the door to effective tools for the reproduction of natural organisms and the creation of ‘synthetic’ biological material that has never before been seen in nature. There are more than 100 large laboratories around the world working in this field and tens of billions of US dollars have been invested. The last 10 years have witnessed the rapid growth of publications and patent applications in Europe, the United States, India, and China. Developments in genetic engineering are beneficial for health. They are especially important in the fight against infections and the development of vaccines, and they also have important applications in agriculture, industry, and other sectors of the economy. At the same time, biotechnologies are becoming more accessible, allowing a wide range of researchers to conduct experiments more or less at home, including those involving the pathogens of dangerous infectious diseases. Thus, although synthetic biology offers benefits in terms of economic, scientific, and technological development, the field also poses potential risks associated with threats to the human body and the environment that are not fully understood. These risks are extremely high, and the possible consequences that they entail are comparable to nuclear radiation in terms of scale. Coordinated actions by the government as well as by scientific and business communities are required to prevent any possible threats from manifesting themselves. What future will achievements in biotechnology bring about? Does research in the field of synthetic biology need to be regulated at the national and international levels? How can we prevent the negative impacts of biotechnology? Who bears responsibility for research outcomes: the scientist, customer, or state? How can we forge partnerships between regional governments in this area?

Moderator:
Anna Popova — Head, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing

Panellists:
Dmitry Morozov — General Director, BIOCAD
Hong Du Nguyen — Director-General, Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Centre
Carlos Tabunda — Director of the ASEAN Studies Center, New Era University; Anchor, Net 25 TV Channel
Mikhail Shchelkanov — Head, Laboratory of Microorganism Ecology with the International Research and Educational Centre of Molecular Technologies, School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU); Head, Laboratory of Virology, Federal Scientific Centre of East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences

Technology, business, and innovation are not only driving the development of the 21st-century economy, they are also strengthening the role of women as leaders in contemporary society. Despite women’s potential when it comes to opening up new markets and launching innovative products, their level of economic and digital participation in the Asia-Pacific region remains insufficient. This lack of full participation by women in the digital economy can be attributed to a low awareness of investment opportunities in innovative markets corresponding to their interests, and a shortage of gender-specific approaches to doing business. If the current gender disparity in the field of digital technology can be overcome, we can create the conditions in which quality of life can be improved for women, men, and society as a whole. How can the contribution of women to strengthening national and global economic, social, political, and cultural potential be assessed? What innovative products are created by women or for women? How are innovative online training platforms to support women’s entrepreneurship being promoted? How is women’s role in the digital age changing? What tools exist to improve women's access to advanced technologies?

Moderator:
Victoria Panova — Vice-Rector for International Relations, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)

Panellists:
Marina Zhunich — Director for Government Relations, Google LLC
Irina Makieva — Deputy Chair, Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)
Agnessa Osipova — President, Russian Franchise Association (RFA)
Wang Ping — Chairman, China Chamber of Tourism
Ekaterina Rybakova — Co-Founder, President, Rybakov Foundation
Yuliana Slashcheva — Chairman of the Management Board, Creative Production Association Soyuzmultfilm Film Studio FSUE
Natalya Tretyak — First Vice President, Gazprombank
Anna Tsivileva — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolmar Group

To promote economic growth in the Russian Far East and attract investment to the macroregion, it is essential to create an objective view of it in foreign countries. With this in mind, establishing a dialogue between young diplomats in the Asia-Pacific region on the sidelines of the Forum takes on particular significance. What joint projects in the digital economy, high technology, and global security are currently of interest to young diplomats in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region? What can be done to establish an objective view of the Russian Far East among foreign investors? Will ‘peer-to-peer diplomacy’ become the basis for developing relations between young diplomats?

Moderator:
Konstantin Kolpakov — Chairman, Council of Young Diplomats Russian Foreign Ministry

Panellist:
Sergey Lavrov — Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Entrepreneurs in the Far Eastern Federal District continue to experience problems associated with a lack of financial resources and high rates of taxation. In order to increase the number of small and medium-sized businesses, it is vital to maintain existing forms of support and to implement new solutions. In this process, special attention should be devoted to those areas which show the greatest potential growth in demand for services provided by SMEs, including exports and tourism. How and with the help of what mechanisms can the national project’s target figures be achieved in the Russian Far East?

Moderator:
Andrey Sharov — Vice-President, Head of GR Directorate, Sberbank

Panellists:
Vyacheslav Arutyunyan — Acting Chairman of the Management Board, Orient Express Bank
Konstantin Bogdanenko — Vice-Governor of Primorsky Territory
Dmitry Golovanov — Chairman of the Board, Member of the Supervisory Board, SME Bank JSC
Yasukazu Irino — Executive Vice President, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Maxim Oreshkin — Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Vasily Orlov — Acting Governor of Amur Region
Vladimir Rimer — Co-Founder, Safe Roads of the JAR

Front row participants:
Alexander Braverman — General Director – Chairman of the Board, Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Ivan Kovtun — President, Russian Association of Rural and Farm Enterprises and Agricultural Cooperatives of Sakhalin Region (AKKOR)
Alexey Nazarov — Partner, Head of Global Strategy Group in Russia, Head of Public Sector, KPMG in Russia and the CIS
Roman Petrutsa — Director, Industrial Development Fund
Ilya Polyakov — Chairman of the Management Board, ROSBANK

Russian–Chinese relations have steadily improved over the past year: the volume of foreign trade between Russia's Far Eastern regions and the People’s Republic of China in 2017 amounted to USD 7.7 billion, 28.3% more than in the same period last year. The export of goods from the Far Eastern Federal District to China increased by 31.5% in 2017. Chinese companies are carrying out more than 40 investment projects in the Russian Far East, eight of which were launched in 2018. However, the full potential of Russian–Chinese trade, as well as economic and investment cooperation, has still not been achieved. Thus, there are still broad opportunities in the areas of infrastructure development, transport and logistics, forestry, tourism, agribusiness, petrochemicals, and aquaculture. What conditions need to be in place to foster trade and economic cooperation and attract Chinese investment? Which support measures and mechanisms might provide additional incentives for investors from China? Which of the regulations that have been adopted have spurred the growth of investment, and what new legislative initiatives are still being developed? What are the funding channels for Russian and Chinese companies that wish to carry out projects in the Russian Far East?

Moderators:
Dmitry Mezentsev — Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy
Liqun Zhou — President, Union of Chinese Entrepreneurs Elus

Panellists:
Maxim Akimov — Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Grigory Berezkin — Chairman of the Board of Directors, ESN Group
Zhu Bixin — Director, President, China Chengtong Holdings Group Ltd
Sun Guoqiang — President, Zhongding Dairy Farming Co., Ltd
Yinbiao Shu — Chairman, State Grid Corporation of China
Mikhail Karisalov — Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, SIBUR
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Sergey Kolesnikov — President, TechnoNICOL Corporation
Konstantin Lashkevich — President, RFP Holding
Vadim Moshkovich — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rusagro
Leonid Petukhov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East Investment and Export Agency
Andrey Starkov — Deputy General Director, JSC Russian Railways
Yaqing Xiao — Chairman, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC)
Zhou Xiaochuan — Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Boao Forum for Asia
Zhang Zongyan — Chief Executive Officer, China Railway Group Limited
Cai Zemin — Managing Director, China Railway Dongfang Group
Lyu Jun — Chairman, COFCO Corporation
Sergey Tsivilev — Acting Governor of the Kemerovo Region
Liu Qitao — Executive Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors, China Communications Construction Company Limited
Bayin Chaolu — First Secretary, Jilin Provincial Committee (People’s Republic of China), Communist Party of China
Alexey Chekunkov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Qingwei Zhang — First Secretary of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee (People’s Republic of China), Communist Party of China

A total of more than RUB 4 trillion will be spent on implementation of Russia’s national Ecology project. Of those, RUB 727 billion are expected to come from the federal budget, an additional RUB 81 billion from regional budgets, and RUB 3207 billion from extra-budgetary sources (primarily industrial enterprises). What roles are assigned to the state, regions, and companies regarding implementation of the national project? How and through which mechanisms can the project’s main targets be achieved: creating a safe waste management system, reducing harmful emissions, improving water quality, preserving unique water and forestry resources, developing specially protected natural areas, and preserving biodiversity? What are the priorities of the national project for the Far East? How can a balance between the development of the regional economy and the preservation of a thriving environment be achieved?

Moderator:
Maria Morgun — Chief Editor, Live Planet TV

Panellists:
Kirill Dmitriev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)
Viktor Evtukhov — State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Sergei Ivanov — Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport
Dmitry Kobylkin — Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation
Alexey Likhachev — Chief Executive Officer, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Vyacheslav Solomin — Chief Executive Officer, EN+ GROUP
Vladimir Yakushev — Minister of Construction, Housing, and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Sergey Aramilev — General Director, Amur Tiger Centre Autonomous Non-Profit Organization
Yuriy Korotaev — General Director, Duracell Russia
Petr Shpilenok — Director, Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve

Prospects for developing cross-border trade with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region are dependent on the competitive advantages enjoyed by Russian exporters – geographical proximity, long-standing trade links, and the ability to quickly organize international cooperation. Small and medium-sized businesses could play a special role in increasing exports to the Chinese, Mongolian, South Korean, North Korean, and Japanese markets. At the present time, however, the percentage of entrepreneurs from the small and medium-sized segment involved in export activity remains small. A significant increase in exports could be achieved by engaging producers who have previously been focused exclusively on Russia’s domestic market in foreign trade. Important factors in unlocking export potential and increasing trade include effective non-financial support measures and financial services, which entrepreneurs from the SME segment are able to receive in tandem. How can potential SME exporters make effective use of existing means of non-financial support? How can financial risks be reduced and small and medium-sized businesses be helped to take their first steps in Asia-Pacific markets? What opportunities are online international trade portals creating for SMEs, and how can they make effective use of these? What models for cooperation between development institutes and strategically important credit organizations, aimed at creating a comprehensive product to stimulate export activity among small and medium-sized businesses, will be in demand in the SME segment?

Moderator:
Alexey Bobrovsky — Head of the Economic Programme, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Dmitriy Bratynenko — Vice-Governor of Primorsky Territory
Sergey Katyrin — President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Ilya Kretov — General Manager Russia and Emerging Europe, eBay Inc.
Anatoly Popov — Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank
Andrey Slepnev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Export Center

Front row participants:
Anastasia Vasyuk — Development of the Free Port of Vladivostok Sea Tourism Project Manager, o. Russky LLC
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Sergey Lebedev — Director for Government Relations, Alibaba Russia
Sergey Legkiy — Managing Director, Primorsky Confectioner
Christopher Miller — Program Leader, World Bank Russian Federation
Sergey Oskolkov — General Director, Olgales
Roman Sultanov — Director, Customs Portal
Martin Tate — Founder, Tate Agro

International tourism is one of the most promising paths to economic development in the Russian Far East. In 2017, more than 720,000 foreign tourists visited the region. Measures have been undertaken in recent years to create the most attractive conditions possible for tourism in the area, including the development of transport infrastructure in the form of airports in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Khabarovsk, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the creation of new points of attraction and tourist resorts in Khabarovsk Territory, Sakhalin Region, and Kamchatka Territory, and the provision of additional support measures for investors, including an electronic visa for citizens from 18 countries and a 0% corporate tax rate for tourism businesses in the Far East during their first five years of operation, as well as additional programmes aimed at expanding tourism infrastructure and promoting the Russian Far East as a tourist destination. What additional conditions are needed to increase the investment attractiveness of the sector? What tourism and supporting infrastructure facilities need to be built to service inbound tourist flows? What do tourists need in the Russian Far East? How can tourist interest in the region be increased, and how can tourists be encouraged to visit more frequently and for longer? What role should the state play in the development of infrastructure to facilitate this?

Moderator:
Maxim Safonov — Director, Green Capital Alliance; Professor, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

Panellists:
Olga Golodets — Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Taras Demura — General Director, TUI Russia
Vladimir Dmitriev — Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Julia Morozova — General Director, Creative Production
Wang Ping — Chairman, China Chamber of Tourism
Vera Podguzova — Managing Director of External Communications, Russian Export Center
Oleg Safonov — Head, Russian Federal Agency for Tourism
Stylianos Tsifetakis — Executive Officer, G1 Entertainment LLC
Sergey Tyrtsev — First Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Irina Yarovaya — Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Ilya Bogachev — Regional Director on Innovative Projects, Amadeus Russia
Olga Gurevich — Chairwoman, Public Expert Council on the Development of Tourism in the Primorsky Territory
Alexey Kalachev — Chief Executive Officer, Russia Convention Bureau
Timothy Patrick McNally — Chairman of the Board of Directors, NagaCorp Ltd
Ruslan Novikov — General Director, Argumenty I Facty Ltd
Olga Tkacheva — Deputy General Director for Strategic Development and Marketing, Flotiliya

In 2017 Vladivostok hosted negotiations on creating computing centres in areas with excess power capacity. Russian and international investors alike are planning to finance several large regional projects related to the development of artificial intelligence (AI). What are the limits of technology development and what impact will they have on the Far East’s trade and economic relations? For business, AI is above all about a global transformation of end-to-end business processes. Are manufacturing enterprises prepared for a delayed economic effect resulting from missing or insufficient data? The ‘black box’ problem when using AI for decision-making is a question of trust in fast decisions, which are taken by a machine on the basis of statistical algorithms and are not transparent for humans. What is in that black box, and which content prevails: promising opportunities or new challenges and dangerous threats? Which tasks can already be delegated to virtual assistants? How will competition among ‘machine intellects’ bring about new benefits for the state and business?

Moderator:
Alexander Vedyakhin — First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank

Panellists:
Dmitry Alexeev — General Director, DNS
Mikhail Burtsev — Head of MIPT NeuroIntellect iPavlov Project
Soo-Young Lee — Professor of Electrical Engineering, Korean Institute of Advanced Science and Technology
Dmitry Peskov — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Digital and Technological Development; Director of the Young Professionals direction, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Samir Saran — President, Observer Research Foundation

The national development goals of Russia include raising life expectancy to 78 years and ensuring sustainable natural population growth. In addition, a national demographics project has been developed. The indicators of the Far Eastern regions in this area are lower than the national average, and the gap is even more pronounced when we compare the region to neighbouring countries. To adequately respond to this challenge, the government will need to take a special approach to planning healthcare development in the Russian Far East. Given the region’s limited resources, it is necessary to take measures to improve the population’s quality of life in ways that will allow residents to lead professionally and physically active lives. What resources will be needed to increase life expectancy in the Russian Far East? In what ways is healthcare cooperation with neighbouring countries currently being developed?

Moderator:
Georgy Kaptelin — Deputy Editor-in-Chief, TASS Russia

Panellists:
Dmitry Morozov — General Director, BIOCAD
Takao Nishida — Deputy Secretary General, Hokuto Social Medical Corporation
Aleksandr Rumyantsev — General Director, Dmitry Rogachev National Research Centre
Valentin Shumatov — Rector, Pacific State Medical University
Hidetoshi Endo — Director, Education and Innovation Centre for Geriatrics and Gerontology, National Centre for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Japan
Tatyana Yakovleva — First Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Lyubov Drozdova — Senior Researcher, Department of Primary Prevention of Chronic Non-Infectious Diseases in the Healthcare System, FGBU State Scientific and Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation
Ekaterina Kruglova — Managing Director, Memory of Generations Charity Foundation
Pavel Serebryakov — Vice Governor of Primorsky Territory for Healthcare, Social Affairs, Physical Culture and Sport
Olga Tkacheva — Director, Russian Gerontology Clinical Research Centre (RGNKC)

The strategic goal of the demographic policy of the Russian Far East covering the period to 2025 is to stabilize the population at 6.2 million by 2020 and increase it to 6.5 million by 2025. Ensuring the growth of the population of the macroregion will require implementing a set of systematic measures that are designed to stimulate the birth rate by increasing the amount of social welfare payments that are awarded on the birth of a child, increasing life expectancy and reducing mortality, reducing migration outflow, and encouraging people from other regions of the country to resettle in the area. How can we implement special measures to achieve the goals of the national programme for demographic growth in the Far East and ensure that these measures are adequately funded? What needs to be done to ensure population growth? How can we reduce migration outflow and encourage people to resettle in the region?

Moderator:
Valery Fedorov — Director General, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)

Panellists:
Vsevolod Vukolov — Head, Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Rostrud)
Andrey Kaprin — Director, Federal State Budgetary Institution National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
Oleg Skufinskiy — Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District
Natalya Trunova — Vice President, Head of Spatial Development, Center for Strategic Research Foundation
Nikolay Kharitonov — Chairman of the Committee for Regional Policy and Issues of the North and Far East, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Svetlana Yachevskaya — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Member of the Management Board, State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Front row participants:
Veronica Peshkova — President, Foundation for the Development of Public Diplomacy Women's Perspective
Tatyana Savchenko — Deputy Chairman of the Government of Magadan Region
Nikolay Sivak — Commercial Director of Healthcare Sector, Philips Russia and CIS
Vera Shcherbina — Chairperson of the Government of Sakhalin Region

According to 2017 statistics, a high proportion of schoolchildren in the Far East still go to school in the afternoon and evening during the so-called 'second shift’. At 249, the number of students attending institutions of higher education per 10,000 residents is lower than the national average of 289. Across the macroregion, 13% of public schools are housed in buildings which are in a decrepit state or require major repairs. Close to 70% of equipment in schools is obsolete, and in a large number of buildings major repairs have not been performed for more than 50 years. In recent years, the percentage of graduate students defending dissertations who have graduated from institutions of higher education has also dropped significantly. How can we address the fact that the Russian Far East is falling behind? What approach should we take to determine the financial contribution of the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District in solving these problems as part of national and federal projects? Why is it necessary to envisage the creation of world-class scientific centres in the Far Eastern Federal District?

Moderator:
Marina Rakova — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Foundation for Educational Development

Panellists:
Igor Barinov — Head, Russian Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs
Alexander Bugaev — Head, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)
Olga Vasilyeva — Minister of Enlightenment of the Russian Federation
Alexander Povalko — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, RVC
Robert Urazov — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for the Development of Professional Communities and Skilled Workers (WorldSkills Russia)

Front row participants:
Eugeniy Nizhnik — Deputy General Director, Agency for the Development of Human Capital in the Far Eastern Federal District
Nina Polichka — Director, Far Eastern Scientific Centre of Local Self-Government
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Natalya Tretyak — First Vice President, Gazprombank
Elvira Shamonova — General Director, Khabarovsk Territorial Education Centre

Colossal potential of the digital world is creating demand for educated specialists in advanced areas of expertise, for professionals who will create the future of the country and the world with their own hands. Digital economy is an inexhaustible source of new technology and disruptive discovery that boosts competition among specialists on the market, whole regions, and even countries. Russia’s first Digital Economy School was opened in the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) in 2018 supported by Sberbank as one of the key partners. Students can choose from five Master’s courses created together with Russia’s tech leaders, best universities, and science centers: “Artificial Intelligence and Big Data”, “Virtual and Augmented Reality”, “Cybersecurity”, “Regional Development Based on Remote Earth Probing Technology and Data”, and “Digital Art”. Dynamic, modular curricula allow for individual learning tracks. The teaching process is coupled with implementation of high-tech projects started by market-leading IT companies. It is the place for new ideas and daring projects.

Presentation of the Digital Economy School of the Far Eastern Federal University:
Nikita Anisimov — Rector, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)

Speech on Competences of the Future and New Trends in Technology:
Herman Gref — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank

Address by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
Address by President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping
Address by President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga
Address by Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe
Address by Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Lee Nak-yon

Moderator:
Sergey Brilev — Anchor, Deputy Director, Russia TV Channel; President, Bering Bellingshausen Institute for the Americas

The proposal to hold this session within the framework of the 4th Eastern Economic Forum stems from the obvious urgency of the digitalization subject, plus Russia’s obligations as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. The latter must be taken into account and observed in the process of discussing and implementing the country’s economic interactions with Southeast Asian states. Eurasian Economic Commission is currently engaged in talks on digital economy cooperation with two ASEAN member-states – Singapore and Cambodia. Discussion will focus on potentially promising areas of ASEAN-EAEU cooperation in development of digital economy; blockchain technology and problems of its legal regulation; proposals for improving media exchanges between EAEU members (including Russia) and ASEAN; e government systems in ASEAN countries, opportunities and risks of public administration digitalisation.

Moderator:
Viktor Sumsky — Director, ASEAN Centre, MGIMO University

Panellists:
Andrei Bystritsky — Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Channmeta Kan — Secretary of State, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the Kingdom of Cambodia
Ivan Polyakov — Chairman, Russia - ASEAN Business Council
Elina Sidorenko — Leader of the Work Group for the Assessment of Risks Associated with Cryptocurrencies, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Carlos Sorreta — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines in the Russian Federation
Carlos Tabunda — Director of the ASEAN Studies Center, New Era University; Anchor, Net 25 TV Channel
Yiseang Chhiv — Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia
Alexey Shevtsov — Managing Director, Head of Blockchain Technology Development, State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Front row participants:
Ekaterina Koldunova — Associate Professor, Deputy Dean for Master Programs of International Relations Faculty, MGIMO University
Dato Redzuan Kushairi — Senior Advisor of Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya; Representative Director, Silverlake

Since the new telemedicine law came into effect in 2018, a new market for such services has emerged in Russia. Experts estimate that it will be worth around RUB 18.5 billion this year, and RUB 68 billion in 2023. Across the vast expanses of Russia's Far East, telemedicine is particularly important, and is growing rapidly. It is clear that telemedical and other information technologies can overcome distances, contribute to better medical decisions, make it easier for health workers and patients to communicate, and assist with the collection and analysis of big data. However, it should not be forgotten that they are only technologies: the most important aspect of healthcare is for processes to be standardized. It is no coincidence that the aviation, auto, and nuclear industries all put process before technology. This means that both traditional and new models of healthcare should clearly specify what is to be done, by whom, and when, how staff and patients should be educated, and how infrastructure should support processes. Only then will the new technologies prove their worth and save lives. Does the new telemedicine law meet the development needs of these services? Have any standard operating procedures been specified for telemedical services? How will personal data be protected? What requirements do public and private telemedical service providers need to meet? Where will patient data be held, and how will such data make medical decisions easier? What additional resources are needed for wide-scale adoption of IT in healthcare?

Moderator:
Evelina Zakamskaya — Editor-in-Chief, Doctor Channel; Anchor, Russia 24

Panellists:
Alexander Akkuratov — Sales Director in Russia, Philips LLC
Ilya Larchenko — Chief Innovation Officer, Doc+
Oleg Pak — Chief Doctor, Medical Centre, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Mingjun Zu — President, Golden Days International Medical Technology Co., Ltd
Dmitry Churilov — Chief Physician, Vladivostok Ambulance Station

A range of measures are presently being implemented in Vladivostok Free Port to simplify customs procedures. The introduction of special customs regulations in ASEZs and in Vladivostok Free Port has already yielded practical results. What interim results have been achieved by the implementation of the Comprehensive Programme for the Development of the Russian Federal Customs Service by 2020? What measures to simplify and speed up customs operations are most in-demand? How can the efficiency of customs operations be increased and the administrative burden on those engaged in foreign trade be reduced through the use of information technologies? Do the new customs tools reflect the successful practices of Asia-Pacific countries? What next steps should be taken to improve customs administration mechanisms? How is the implementation of new customs legislation (including the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Federal Law ‘On Customs Regulation’) helping to speed up and simplify customs processes and to attract investors?

Moderator:
Mikhail Orlov — Partner, Head of Tax and Legal, KPMG Russia

Panellists:
Vladimir Bulavin — Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Sergey Kolesnikov — President, TechnoNICOL Corporation
Dmitry Kudinov — General Director, Mazda Sollers Manufacturing Rus
Anton Skorik — Chairman, Vladivostok Free Port Residents Support Association; General Director, Renaissance
Yury Tyamushkin — General Director, VaninoTransUgol JSC
Yuriy Tsvetkov — Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation; Head, Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport
Ma Zhizhong — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jolanpu; Member of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Hao

Front row participant:
Pavel Polyakov — Chairman, Legal and Commercial Committee, Association of Sea Commercial Ports; Director for Organization and Partner Communications, Global Ports Investments Plc.

The network of cultural and art institutions in the Russian Far East has high potential. The Far Eastern Federal District is home to philharmonic societies, cinemas, circuses, parks of culture and recreation, and theatres for children and adults, including federally funded institutions, such as the Primorsky Stage of the State Mariinsky Theatre and a branch of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, as well as professional educational institutions and art schools. At the same time, the number of buildings housing cultural institutions that are in an unsatisfactory state of repair in the Far East exceeds the average Russian level. Visitor numbers also remain low and the problem of staffing in this sector is quite acute. Despite the measures that have been taken, there are a number of positions that have been left vacant due to a lack of housing and low wages. In order to help the Russian Far East to catch up, it is necessary to ensure that the national programme covers and funds special measures that are aimed at creating cultural and recreational organizations; cultural, educational, and museum centres featuring concert halls and schools of theatre, music, choreography, and other creative arts; as well as exhibition spaces, virtual concert halls, and cinemas, including in rural areas. What is the current assessment of the gap between the Russian national average values for key indicators and the values that are recorded in the Far Eastern Federal District? What are the target indicators that should be improved as part of the national cultural programme, and what values should be achieved in the Far East by 2024? How much funding is required for the national cultural programme in the Russian Far East?

Moderator:
Victor Shalai — Director, Arseniev State Museum of Primorsky Region

Panellists:
Felix Azhimov — Director for Expertise and Analytics, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Asya Gabysheva — Director, National Art Museum of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Lyudmila Gorlacheva — Minister of Culture and Tourism of Magadan Region
Aleksandra Maksimets — General Director, "SEAWOLF. Cinematic stories creation" LLC
Eduard Smirnov — Chairman, Primorsky Regional Branch of All-Russian Public-Government Organization Russian Military Historical Society

Front row participants:
Svetlana Aygistova — Minister of Culture of Kamchatka Territory
Alexey Samarin — Minister of Culture and Archives of Sakhalin Region
Vladimir Tikhonov — Minister of Culture and Spiritual Development of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
Andrey Chugunov — Rector, Far Eastern State Institute of Arts

The modern city is changing how its residents live, creating an environment for development, and providing a place where people can achieve their creative and intellectual potential. The appearance and comfort of our cities and towns have become important competitive factors in attracting and retaining the active part of the population, namely young professionals. In order to compete for human capital, the cities of the Russian Far East must, in one way or another, change their approach to development strategies. The integrated and phased introduction of ‘smart’ solutions in all areas of urban life will help to reduce utility costs, optimize resource consumption, make cities affordable and convenient for people, and attract investors. The opportunities for ‘smart’ development are mainly determined by high human and innovative potential, aspects which determine long-term social and economic development trends and improve the quality of the urban environment. What is a ‘smart city’? Which international technologies and best practices should be followed? Which are the first solutions that might be implemented in the Russian Far East? What mechanisms need to be developed in order to make cities smarter and attract investors?

Moderator:
Andrey Chibis — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Lev Gorilovskiy — Member of the Board of Directors, Polyplastic Group
Dmitry Dyrmovsky — General Director, Member of the Board of Directors, Speech Technology Centre
Hiroaki Ishizuka — Chairman, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Aysen Nikolaev — Acting Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Mikhail Oseevskiy — President, Rostelecom
Fumihiko Yuki — Vice-Minister for Infrastructure, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan

Front row participants:
Alexey Abramov — Head, The Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology
Christopher Miller — Program Leader, World Bank Russian Federation
Dmitriy Tetenkin — Adviser to the Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East

A range of projects are being implemented in the Russian Far East today which will impact upon the future of logistics in Northeast Asia. The Russian Far East offers the shortest routes from east to west, with the Trans-Siberian Railway, providing a transportation solution that is a third faster than the available alternatives. The projects include the modernization of the Baikal–Amur Mainline and Trans-Siberian railway, international transport corridors in Primorsky Territory, the Northern Sea Route, and border crossing points in Amur Region and the Jewish Autonomous Region. Discussions are in progress on the construction of a bridge to Sakhalin Island and a high-speed mainline linking Harbin and Vladivostok. What main conditions are essential for the successful implementation of transport projects? What are the key qualitative indicators of projects that have already been launched? How can investment be attracted from the Asia-Pacific region into global logistics projects in the Russian Far East? What steps must be taken to make transport corridors more accessible and attractive to investors?

Moderator:
Yermolai Solzhenitsyn — Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company

Panellists:
Tero Vauraste — President, Chief Executive Officer, Arctia Ltd; Chair, Arctic Economic Council
Marina Dedyushko — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Vyacheslav Ruksha — Deputy Director General, Director of the Directorate of the Northern Sea Route, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Vyacheslav Saraev — Chief Executive Officer, Head of the Executive Board, TransContainer PJSC
Igor Snegurov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, VIS Group
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Cai Zemin — Managing Director, China Railway Dongfang Group
Alexey Chichkanov — First Vice President, Gazprombank
Aleksey Shilo — Director of Commerce Activities, General Director of the Centre of Corporate Transportation Services, Russian Railways
Qin Enting — Chairman, Heihe Municipal People's Congress

Front row participant:
Alexey Tsedenov — Head of the Republic of Buryatia

Contemporary realities are giving rise to new challenges. The transformation of the economy, and as a result, the labour market, has resulted in current education systems being unable to satisfy the needs of the digital economy and ensure the implementation of National Technology Initiative roadmaps. One response to the demand from the state, business, and society for improved identification, development, and cultivation of talent is the creation of University 20.35 – a new kind of networked education system based on the best global practices used by education organizations and digital education platforms, and on the best courses and models for personal training. This new model of university is making it possible to move away from analogue paper credentials, and to replace them with digital skills passports, which are constantly supplemented by virtue of the ‘digital footprint’. One of the tasks of the university is to train individuals to manage based on data from teams of federal and regional government bodies. How can the education system be quickly reconfigured from an institution-centric one to an individual-centric one? How can we help individuals to understand and develop their own abilities? What tools can be used to assess skills ‘in the moment’? What is a Chief Data Officer, how many of them will be needed by 2035, and what is the most effective way to train them? Could artificial intelligence be capable of recommending a path for individual development based on big data collected during the training process? Could the Russian Far East become a region for self-development in difficult circumstances and position itself in the avant-garde of working with talented people?

Moderator:
Nikita Anisimov — Rector, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)

Panellists:
Vladislav Boutenko — Senior Partner, Managing Director, Chairman in Russia, The Boston Consulting Group
Olga Vasilyeva — Minister of Enlightenment of the Russian Federation
Vsevolod Vukolov — Head, Federal Service for Labour and Employment (Rostrud)
Pavel Gudkov — Deputy General Director, Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises
Mikhail Nikolayev — President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (1991-2002)
Dmitry Peskov — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Digital and Technological Development; Director of the Young Professionals direction, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Vasily Tretyakov — General Director, University 20.35 Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization
Robert Urazov — Chief Executive Officer, Agency for the Development of Professional Communities and Skilled Workers (WorldSkills Russia)

Front row participants:
Mikhail Akim — Vice President, ABB Ltd; Chairman, Working Group for Modernization and Innovations, Association of European Businesses (AEB)
Dmitry Zemtsov — Head of the National Technology Initiative working group on developing continuing and non-formal education, Study Group Movement
Mikhail Khomich — Deputy Prime Minister, Udmurt Republic

The currently used tools for the advanced development of the Far East region, such as ASEZs, the Free Port regime in Vladivostok, infrastructure support for investors, Far Eastern Hectare programme and others are aimed at the future, yet have already produced some tangible results. This became possible due to consistent and rapid establishment of institutional and legislative basis for the development of the Far East. The participants of the round table will discuss the legislative aspects of implementing the development strategy for Far Eastern regions; key areas and goals of social and economic policy; as well as increase in the investment attractiveness of industries that are driving economic growth of the Far East.

Moderator:
Denis Kravchenko — Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy, Industry, Innovative Development and Entrepreneurship, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Viktor Evtukhov — State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Grigoriy Kuranov — Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation
Sergey Sopchuk — Member of the Committee on Transport and Construction, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Vyacheslav Timchenko — Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation Committee on Economic Policy
Ilya Shestakov — Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation; Head, Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo)

Russia’s social development goals have been defined and include increasing life expectancy, reducing poverty, and natural population growth. These goals are especially relevant today for the Russian Far East. To address these issues, it will not be enough to just increase public expenditure. New approaches and solutions that combine private initiative, a focus on a specific result, and resources and investment will be required. When implementing social projects, it is often not the process of providing a service that is important, but rather the specific changes and social impacts that are achieved in a particular sector. Will Russia be able to switch from redistributing state budgets to finance services to a model that involves financing outcomes and achieving social and economic impacts? What tools are available for attracting private initiatives and investment to achieve social impacts? What are the key differences between the new funding tools and the traditional format for financing services and public–private partnerships? What has the experience of implementing social impact projects in other countries been? What impact has the SIB tool had on social issues in other countries? What is the role of the state in developing this tool? What is the role of social impact projects in achieving national development goals in the social sphere in the Russian Far East?

Moderator:
Marina Rakova — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Foundation for Educational Development

Panellists:
Marina Borovskaya — Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation
Innokentiy Dementyev — Deputy General Director, Presidential Grants for Civil Society Development Foundation
Ilya Torosov — Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Hidetoshi Endo — Director, Education and Innovation Centre for Geriatrics and Gerontology, National Centre for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Japan
Svetlana Yachevskaya — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Member of the Management Board, State Corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)

Front row participant:
Nikolay Milkis — Deputy Governor, Director of Economic Development Department, Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra

International arbitration is the most widely used mechanism for resolving disputes effectively, mitigating risk, and ultimately, promoting trade and commerce. This seminar will bring together legal counsel in an early-stage meeting scenario to consider the legal options available and the practical steps required to formulate an effective dispute resolution strategy. For the Russian business and legal communities, particularly those involved in international transactions, the seminar will equip attendees with the tools needed to make sound business decisions when faced with a potential dispute. Who should be involved in pre-dispute discussions? What are the pitfalls to avoid in informal discussions? Should companies involve lawyers in early pre-dispute discussions? How does third-party funding work in a pre-dispute discussion? What protective actions should be taken early on/for interim relief? What actions can be taken to help ensure recoverability – e.g. provisional measures, such as freezing/attachment orders? What can a company do to improve its enforcement prospects?

Moderator:
Sarah Jane Grimmer — Secretary General, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre

Panellists:
Olga Boltenko — Partner, Fangda Partners
Andrey Gorlenko — Executive Administrator, Russian Arbitration Centre at the Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration
Aleksei Dudko — Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution Practice, Hogan Lovells CIS
Ling Yang — Executive Editor-in-Chief, Shanghai International Arbitration Review

Front row participant:
Philip Lin Chuen Kung — Head of Business and Professional Services, Invest Hong Kong

The interest expressed by European business circles in the Russian Far East has not weakened despite the current sanctions regime. This has been confirmed by the number of completed and planned business missions from France, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark to the regions of the Far East. The progress that the Swiss company Molumin AG has achieved in carrying out a project to develop the Shanuch and Kvinum deposits, as well as the decision to build an international luxury goods storage centre similar to Le Freeport Luxembourg, are just two examples of this positive trend. European businesses are interested in projects in the fields of agriculture, medicine, infrastructure, and mining, and in the Arctic. In order to facilitate cooperation with European investors, a decision was made to open an office of the Far East Investment and Export Agency in Europe. Are sanctions an obstacle for European companies who wish to pursue investment projects in the Far East? Which industries are the most promising? Which measures need to be taken to increase the attractiveness of the Russian Far East in the eyes of European entrepreneurs?

Moderator:
Andrey Sharonov — President, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO

Panellists:
Mikhail Akim — Vice President, ABB Ltd; Chairman, Working Group for Modernization and Innovations, Association of European Businesses (AEB)
Sylvie-Agnes Bermann — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Russian Federation
Tero Vauraste — President, Chief Executive Officer, Arctia Ltd; Chair, Arctic Economic Council
Emmanuel Quidet — President, French-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Alexander Kozlov — Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Alexander Liberov — Commercial Director, Siemens Russia

Front row participants:
Gianni Bardazzi — Vice President for Russia and Caspian Region, Maire Tecnimont SpA
Christian Wolfensberger — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Molumin AG
Aleksandr Nosov — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Investments and Strategic Planning, Russian Highways State Company

The young people of the world are the driving force behind innovation and creativity,
the catalyst for putting new initiatives, ideas, and movements into practice, and a reservoir of vast intellectual potential. The young people of the Russian Far East hold the key to overall economic development in the macroregion. The rapid growth of youth entrepreneurship, the implementation of projects which are strategically important to the regions, and the establishment of an environment in which economically advantageous ideas can be replicated are all facilitating further development in the Far East. Entrepreneurial activity by young people in the Far Eastern Federal District is capable of making a significant contribution to increasing the gross regional product. But how can we attract young people to the Far East? What conditions are required to establish a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Far East? How can we develop cross-border youth entrepreneurship?

Moderator:
Alexey Bobrovsky — Head of the Economic Programme, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Yekaterina Dragunova — Deputy Head, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)
Alexander Kalinin — President, All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses OPORA RUSSIA
Ivan Komarov — Director of Education Projects, Delovaya Sreda JSC
Aleksey Mostovshchikov — Co-chairman of Magadan Regional Division, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia)
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Front row participants:
Tatiana Andreeva — General Director, Centre for Business and Innovation Development Initiative
Denis Balura — Managing Partner, Modern Services
Alim Galimullin — Co-Founder, Gafel
Alexander Golovko — Individual Entrepreneur
Stanislav Terekhov — Individual Entrepreneur

The social and economic development of the Russian Far East is one of the factors that will determine Russia’s success in the international arena. Investment in establishing favourable conditions for business communications and incentives for business activity could prove to be a key element of this development, including by cultivating the region’s potential to host events and creating a comfortable sociocultural environment for guests. Today, many new convention and exhibition centres are being built throughout the world, and money is being invested in renovating existing venues both in developing areas, and in well-known locations which enjoy high demand from organizers of international events. Hosting international events boosts the profile of both the host city and the country as a whole, increasing their attractiveness to tourists and investors, facilitating socioeconomic development, providing an additional impulse for the growth of various economic sectors, and helping to improve the region’s position in the global arena. Russia has every chance of becoming a leader in the international events market through harnessing the potential of new areas like the Far East of the country. Could a cluster approach be employed to develop regional events potential? How can the Russian Far East effectively apply the similar experience and development model of the Asia-Pacific countries? What criteria should modern convention and exhibition venues meet? Could public–private partnership become a tool for the effective development and improvement of regional events infrastructure? What is the best way to choose international events and attract them to the region? What is the role of the social and cultural environment in boosting the attractiveness of the region from the point of view of event organizers and participants?

Moderator:
Alexey Muratov — Partner, KB Strelka

Panellists:
Nikita Anisimov — Rector, Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU)
Vasily Grebennikov — Deputy General Director, Far East Development Fund
Alexey Kalachev — Chief Executive Officer, Russia Convention Bureau
Elena Myakotnikova — Corporate Director, Agency for Strategic Initiatives
Wang Ping — Chairman, China Chamber of Tourism
Evgeny Podshivalov — Deputy General Director, Monotowns Development Fund

Front row participant:
Vera Yermilova — General Director, Dalexpocenter LLC

Investing in infrastructure is considered to be one of the best ways of stimulating economic development. Given that Russia’s regions are facing budget deficits, public–private partnership is one of the key tools available for developing infrastructure, attracting investment, and improving the quality of public services. What experience do regions in the Russian Far East have of public–private partnership projects to build social infrastructure? What opportunities are there for new projects?

Moderator:
Elena Kuznetsova — Partner, McKinsey & Company

Panellists:
Anatoliy Bobrakov — Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund
Sergey Gostev — Deputy General Director for Economics and Finance, Chief Executive Officer, GV Gold (Vysochaishy, PJSC)
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Ayna Neustroyeva — Member of the Board, Union of Builders of Yakutia
Vladimir Solodov — Acting Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Andrey Chibis — Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Participation in the volunteer movement is fundamentally changing the way people live in the Russian Far East. It is not only helping to bring together active, committed people, whose spiritual and creative potential is being revealed through their involvement in volunteer projects, it is also creating a whole community of successful, open-minded, and purposeful citizens. And it is these citizens who will provide the starting point for imaginative and socially significant projects aimed primarily at improving and developing the Far East. What benefits can volunteering bring to development in the Russian Far East? What is the value of this movement that has come to encompass every aspect of people’s lives? How do we ensure that volunteering becomes an integral part of everyone’s life? Is there a need to consider volunteering through the prism of international projects, and what mechanisms for cooperation with such projects are available? How can volunteers help to resolve the region’s problems?

Moderator:
Artem Metelev — Chairman of the Council, Association of Volunteer Centers; Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Undral Gombodorj — Chairperson, Network of Mongolian Volunteer Organizations (NMVO)
Yekaterina Dragunova — Deputy Head, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh)
Ilya Popov — Founder, GoodSurfing Global Project
Ekaterina Rybakova — Co-Founder, Rybakov Foundation
Valery Fedorov — Director General, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)
Natalia Yakunina — Head, Dream Island Environmental Project