Friends,
I cordially welcome all participants and guests of the Eastern Economic Forum, which is being held in Vladivostok for the fourth time.
Over the years, the Forum has become an important and popular venue for face-to-face dialogue between politicians and public figures, business executives and experts. This year, delegations from more than 60 countries across the world will be taking part.
The theme of this year’s event, The Far East: Expanding the Range of Possibilities, reflects our aspiration to see Russia more closely integrated into the economic network of the huge Asia-Pacific region. In order to support business initiatives in the Russian Far East, we have established advanced special economic zones that offer significant incentives to companies wishing to launch new production facilities. We have also created a port area with a special customs and tax regime, Vladivostok Free Port. We are implementing large-scale social, infrastructure, education, and research programmes and projects aimed at supporting exports and technological modernization. All this opens up a wide range of opportunities for partnerships, trade, and long-term capital investment, as well as for adopting modern and effective forms and models of cooperation, including within the framework of such multilateral organizations as the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
I am confident that the ideas discussed during the Forum will contribute to business growth in the Far East and to deeper mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and the Asia-Pacific region.
I sincerely wish you a productive and successful Forum and all the best!
Vladimir Putin
