Europe is considered a socially responsible global leader in the field of sustainable development. In order to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change, European businesses are switching to a low-carbon, more resource-efficient “circular economy,” while investing in the advancement of digital technologies and production processes. A high level of technological innovation and the willingness to partially localize the production of European companies in Russia are two key aspects for European companies desiring to engage in the ambitious project of economic diversification in the Russian Federation. The interests of leading European countries, particularly concerning the energy sector, as well as the complementarity of economic systems, encourage a pragmatic and structured dialogue with Moscow. At a time when the Far East is opening up to promising growth, how can European companies contribute their innovative potential to further the sustainable development of this geographically remote territory of the Old World?

Moderator:
Michael Akim — Vice President, ABB Ltd

Panellists:
Gianni Bardazzi — Vice President for Russia and Caspian Region, Maire Tecnimont SpA
Dmitriy Kolpashnikov — General Director, Dielectric Cable Systems
Carlo Palasciano Villamagna — General Director, Enel Russia
Pasquale Terracciano — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Russian Federation
Vincenzo Trani — President, Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce
Frank Schauff — Chief Executive Officer, Association of European Businesses

Front row participant:
Denis Askinadze — Deputy General Director, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China, presenting a timely opportunity to summarize the progress made and to outline the next steps in achieving high-level targets, including trade volumes. An open dialogue on business cooperation is essential and remains relevant in the light of changes to staff duties and skills, given that the geographical scope of business ties is expanding and both priority areas for cooperation and collaboration formats are diversifying as they become increasingly geared towards market conditions. How can we achieve the USD 200 billion trade performance target between Russia and China? Long-standing sectors: how can we advance the projects listed under the Russia–China cooperation programme by 2024? What is the trajectory when implementing projects in traditional sectors of cooperation? The year in summary: what new avenues of collaboration and potential projects have arisen over the past year? What agreements have been signed and which projects have passed the pre-feasibility study stage? Technological opportunities in the Far East: Big Data as a resource; electronic-based infrastructure; information technology and creating a unified space.

Moderator:
Andrei Bystritsky — Chairman of the Board, Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Panellists:
Konstantin Bogdanenko — Acting Vice Governor of Primorsky Territory
Sun Guoqiang — President, Zhongding Dairy Farming Co., Ltd
Long Dawei — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chengzhi
Sergey Iniushin — Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the People's Republic of China
Boris Krasnovskiy — General Director, ESN Group
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic
Liu Xusheng — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dalian Shangpintang
Zhao Jiejun — Vice President, Mengniu Dairy Company Limited

Front row participants:
Roman Vityazev — Chairman, Far Eastern Union of Mariculture Enterprises; Chairman, Hyperion
Sergey Lebedev — Director for Government Relations, Alibaba Russia
Yang Tingting — Chairman, China Commercial Counsellor and Entrepreneurs Association
Oleg Chizh — Deputy Co-Chief Executive Officer, Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF)

Wide-ranging changes are currently being undertaken in the Far East. Following the initiation of the eight-point cooperation plan between Japan and Russia and the implementation of Russian government policy to develop the region, the Far East now serves as a platform to spearhead new Russian-Japanese business development, and this process is set to accelerate with the development of new major sea and land transport corridors. One of these corridors is the Northern Sea Route, through which it is planned to supply valuable Russian energy resources to Asia produced primarily under the Arctic LNG 2 project. Following an agreement reached in June between the leaders of the two countries, a Japanese consortium will have a 10% stake in the project. As a result, the Far East is set to play a vital role as a link between the Arctic and Asia. Joint Russian-Japanese projects have benefited greatly from the Trans Siberian Railway, which connects continental and Pacific Russia, and its importance as a major transport artery is set to grow further. An increase in the efficiency and capacity of the Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting the Far East not only with Moscow, but also with European countries, will contribute to a large-scale increase in passenger and cargo flows across the entire Eurasian continent, which will bring about a radical transformation of the economy of the Far East. What other opportunities can Russian-Japanese business benefit from in the Far East? What new opportunities for bilateral cooperation are opening up for Russia and Japan in the Far East, in view of the wide-ranging changes to the largest transport corridors? What is the current status of new investment projects? What measures could be taken to increase the number of successful projects? How can we establish a constructive and effective dialogue with investors? What is the scope for joint projects in other areas? What challenges will Russian-Japanese business encounter in the Far East under the emerging new conditions?

Moderators:
Teruo Asada — Chair, Japan-Russia Business Cooperation Committee, Japan Business Federation (Keidanren)
Alexey Repik — President, Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia); Chairman of the Board, Group R-Pharm

Panellists:
Oleg Belozerov — Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board, Russian Railways
Masami Iijima — Representative Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mitsui & Co
Satsuki Katayama — Minister of State for Regional Revitalization; Minister of State for Regulatory Reform; Minister of State for Gender Equality; Minister in charge of Women's Empowerment
Maxim Oreshkin — Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation
Nobuhiko Sasaki — Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Hiroshige Seko — Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Minister for Economic Cooperation with Russia
Roman Trotsenko — Founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors, AEON Corporation
Takeshi Uchiyamada — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Toyota Motor Corporation
Yoshiharu Ueki — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Japan Airlines
Nikolay Tsekhomskiy — First Deputy Chairman – Member of the Management Board, State Development Corporation "VEB.RF"
Vladimir Yakushev — Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Anatoly Artamonov — Governor of Kaluga Region
Stanislav Voskresensky — Governor of Ivanovo Region
Koji Omi — Founder, Chairman, Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS forum)
Aleksey Khachay — General Director, Japanese Project Promotion Vehicle in the Far East
Shinji Hirai — Governor of Tottori Prefecture
Petr Shelakhaev — Deputy General Director, Far East and Baikal Region Development Fund

Last year saw relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea prosper: the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, visited Russia, while its Prime Minister, Lee Nak-yeon, was an honorary guest at the Russian-Korean business dialogue at EEF 2018. The Republic of Korea was selected as partner country at the major industrial exhibition INNOPROM-2018, while the First Conference on Interregional Cooperation between Russia and South Korea was a notable success. South Korean businesses are increasingly interested in Russia’s Far East. The heads of state actively support this strengthening of cooperation between the two countries: at the beginning of 2019, the nations signed a cooperation agreement covering nine areas. The plan outlines collaboration between the two countries in energy, rail, developing the Northern Sea Route, shipbuilding, and agriculture. Additional opportunities for collaboration have also opened up as a result of two new regions joining the Far East, namely the Republic of Buryatia and Transbaikal Territory. As the Far East’s borders have opened up, its business environment has become more attractive for South Korean investors. The time has come to take tangible steps that will help attract South Korean investment to the Far East.

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

Panellists:
Grigory Berezkin — Chairman of the Board of Directors, ESN Group
Choi Won Bo — General Director of the Far Eastern Representative Office, Lotte International
Alexandrs Isurins — Chairman of the Executive Board, President, Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO)
Lee Kang-deok — Mayor of Pohang Metropolitan City
Alexander Krutikov — Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic
Vladimir Padalko — Vice President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
Alexey Rakhmanov — President, United Shipbuilding Corporation
Park Seung Yong — Senior Executive Vice President, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co
I Hoseok — Vice President, Convergence Medical Institute of Technology, Pusan National University Hospital
Han Jin Hyun — Executive Vice Chairman, Korea International Trade Association (KITA)

Front row participant:
Konstantin Bogdanenko — Acting Vice Governor of Primorsky Territory

The list of investment projects being implemented by Russia and India in the Russian Far East is gradually expanding. The first investment project implemented by an Indian company in the Russian Far East was launched in 2017 and consists of a precious stone cutting and polishing factory in the Free Port of Vladivostok. A total of over USD 7.1 million was invested in the project. In 2019, the Russian Far East saw the launch of a second precious stone cutting and polishing project with USD 5 million in investment. Work is under way on a major Indian project in Kamchatka Territory to develop a coal deposit. An estimated USD 986 million has been invested in that project. India’s interest in the Far East is gaining momentum. In 2019, Vladivostok was visited by a large Indian delegation led by the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry. This was the largest delegation that the country has ever to Russia ever. Members of the delegation included chief ministers from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, and Goa and representatives from over 100 Indian companies. The most promising sectors for cooperation include mining, petrochemicals, timber processing, and agribusiness. There is also significant potential and mutual interest in cooperation in medicine, education, tourism, and IT in the Russian Far East. Russia and India continue to discuss the possibility of implementing joint projects in the Russian Far East. What new projects funded by Indian capital are planned for the Far East? What instruments and mechanisms will facilitate this development? What previously untapped sectors have potential for cooperation, and how can cooperation be fostered further?

Moderator:
Shiv Vikram Khemka — Vice Chairman, SUN Group

Panellists:
Sergey Gorkov — General Director, Chairman of the Management Board, Rosgeologia
Dmitry Kobylkin — Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation
Anil Kumar Jha — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Managing Director, Coal India Limited
Leonid Petukhov — Chief Executive Officer, Far East Investment and Export Agency
Sandeep Somany — President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Sergey Tyrtsev — First Deputy Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic
Darshan Hiranandani — Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, H-Energy Private
Anna Tsivileva — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kolmar Group

Front row participants:
Anton Zamkov — General Director, RT-Invest Transport Systems; Director, Digital Transport and Logistics Association
Rajesh Kothari — General Director, M. Suresh Vladivostok
Vsevolod Rozanov — Managing Partner, Sistema
Igor Rotenberg — Investor
Kirill Tsarev — Vice President, Director of Engineering Customers Department, Sberbank

The Third Russia–ASEAN Summit took place in November 2018 in Singapore, and saw Russia and ASEAN develop relations to the point of forming a strategic partnership, which was enshrined in the signing of a statement. However, there currently exist a number of barriers hindering the development of economic cooperation, including insufficient integration in the Asia Pacific’s logistics network, lack of direct flights between large Russian cities and ASEAN countries, and low levels of awareness of each other’s business environment. Nevertheless, trade, economic, and investment cooperation can be increased through implementing joint economic projects which encompass priority development areas in the Far East and Russia overall, collaborating in building infrastructure, working together in high-tech and innovation, and bolstering economic security. What will be the new focal points for cooperation in terms of trade and investment between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations? What prospects for cooperation does the digital economy hold, specifically for integrating projects to create a network of smart cities? Integrating investment flow instruments and mechanisms from ASEAN into Russia: how can we intensify the process of investment cooperation?

Moderator:
Sergey Katyrin — President, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation

Panellists:
Bambang Brodjonegoro — Minister of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia
Nikolay Volobuev — Deputy General Director, Russian Technologies State Corporation
Aleksey Pakhomenko — Deputy General Director for Programs and Strategy, Russian Helicopters
Leophairatana Prachai — Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of Executive Committee, TPI Polene Public Company Limited
Winnie Teo — General Director, Progression Engineering (S) Pte Ltd
Nguyen Thanh Hung — Chairman of the Board of Directors, SOVICO Groups

Front row participant:
Maxim Kobin — Managing Director for Client Work, Russian Export Center