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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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 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

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 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

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 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

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

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