Effective development of the navigation along the Northern Sea Route (hereinafter – the NSR) at the current stage requires constant interaction between consignors, shipping companies and the state. The NSR Navigation Stakeholder Council has been established to combine the efforts aimed at ensuring safety, commercial attractiveness and stable navigation of the NSR. The conditions of external sanctions pressure create the need for redirecting cargo flows to the East, which makes the development of the Eastern part of the NSR even more important. The NSR Navigation Stakeholder Council is focused on the development of optimal mechanisms for Arctic navigation management, the development of international cooperation in the field of the NSR’s use including international transit navigation, as well as the issues related to the icebreaker support of investment projects in the Arctic and the improvement of ice forecast quality. How can the Arctic navigation efficiency be improved? What must be done to improve safety and commercial attractiveness of the Northern route? What role does the NSR Development Plan until 2035 play in successful implementation of investment projects in the Arctic?

Moderator:
Sergey Frank — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sovcomflot

Panellists:
Evgeniy Ambrosov — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, NOVATEK
Yury Borisov — Director General, State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS
Dmitry Zaitsev — Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Alexey Likhachev — Director General, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Vladimir Panov — Special Representative for the Development of the Arctic, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Nikolay Shabalin — Executive Director, Marine Research Center at Moscow State University (MRC LMSU)

Northern delivery covers settlements within 25 Russian federal subjects, representing a population of more than 3 million people. Every year, around 3.1 million tonnes of freight containing essential goods are delivered to the regions of the Far North and logistically equivalent territories. Fuel and energy resources account for 75% of the freight. Direct budget expenditure on northern delivery amounts to RUB 14.2 billion per year. Ensuring uninterrupted supplies to the territories under the northern delivery programme is an important factor in the country’s stable development. This is an area requiring special attention and oversight on the part of the President of the Russian Federation. In pursuance of an order of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation is developing a draft federal law on northern delivery, which will ensure reliable and timely supplies to the regions of the Far North and logistically equivalent territories and, most important, reduce the cost of goods for northerners. What are the priority areas for increasing the efficiency of northern delivery, taking into account the legal, transport, logistics and financial aspects, digital tools, and the potential of the Northern Sea Route? What best practices in the regions of the Far North can be used to optimize northern delivery?

Moderator:
Mikhail Kuznetsov — Director, Eastern State Planning Center (FANU Vostokgosplan)

Panellists:
Gadzhimagomed Guseynov — First Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Ilya Davidenko — First Deputy Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Region
Aisen Nikolaev — Head of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
Nikolay Kharitonov — Chairman of the Committee on the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Andrey Shevchenko — Chairman, Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Self-Government and Northern Affairs, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Andrei Dregval — Head, Administration of Seaports of the Primorsky Territory and the Eastern Arctic (online)
Alexander Kalinin — First Deputy Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District

Geopolitical challenges require decisive action, thus a new development centre in the Asia-Pacific region must be formed. BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway (the Eastern Polygon of the Russian Railways) are the only transport arteries linking the Russia’s West with its East. These conduits also provide the flow of goods from Russia to promising markets in the Asia-Pacific Region. However, the Eastern Polygon is full of bottlenecks, which significantly hamper export freight traffic and constrain the development of the Far East. According to the results of 2021, the Eastern Polygon has reached its maximum load, the total carrying capacity amounted to 144 million tonnes. Due to the existing infrastructural restrictions, there is an acute deficit of carrying and throughput capacities of the Eastern Polygon (shortage of about 90 million tonnes, without taking into account the rerouting of cargo traffic from the West to the East). How to eliminate the deficit of carrying capacity of the Eastern Polygon? What support tools are needed to speed up the pace of construction of vital arteries? What is the socio-economic effect of the project implementation?

Moderator:
Ruslan Baysarov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bamtonnelstroy-Most; Member, All-Russian Public Organization "Bamovskoye Commonwealth"

Panellists:
Pavel Brusser — First Vice President – Head, Infrastructure and PPP Department, Gazprombank
Mikhail Degtyarev — Governor of Khabarovsky Territory
Dmitry Islamov — Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Energy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Andrey Kutepov — Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Andrew Makarov — Deputy General Director, Russian Railways
Irina Olkhovskaya — Chief Officer for Seaport and Railway Projects, UMMC
Vasily Orlov — Governor of Amur Region
Sergey Tsivilev — Governor of Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass
Sergey Shishkarev — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Delo Group of Companies

Front row participants:
Maxim Basov — General Director, SUEK
Vladimir Burovtsev — Rector, Far Eastern State Transport University
Mikhail Ivanov — Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Valentin Letunovskiy — Deputy Head of Presidential Control Directorate
Olga Kharlamova — Vice President – Director of Key Accounts Department , Sberbank

The most important long-term objective in the development of the Far East and the Arctic is to create the necessary infrastructure to ensure regular year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). In an effort to ensure the sustainable growth of Arctic shipping and the effective implementation of investment projects, the Russian government has approved a plan for the development of the NSR for the period until 2035. Pursuant to instructions from the Russian president and a government resolution, the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route has been created within the Rosatom State Corporation, which is responsible for managing navigation along the NSR. In addition, ambitious projects by major enterprises with a projected consolidated cargo base of 200 million tonnes have created a need for the year-round operation of the NSR. Close cooperation between the government and business will help enhance the economic appeal of the route, strengthen security in the region, and also ease the load on the Eastern railway operating domain. What logistics arrangements to export cargo will be needed in the new geopolitical conditions? When will the NSR be able to launch year-round navigation towards the east? What infrastructure needs to be created for the sustainable operation of the NSR as a national maritime transport corridor between the Far East and the European part of Russia?

Moderator:
Mikhail Kuznetsov — Director, Eastern State Planning Center (FANU Vostokgosplan)

Panellists:
Evgeniy Ambrosov — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, NOVATEK
Gadzhimagomed Guseynov — First Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Viktor Evtukhov — State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Ivin — Deputy Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Karin Kneissl — Federal Minister for Europe and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria (2017–2019)
Vladimir Panov — Special Representative for the Development of the Arctic, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Dmitry Pankov — General Director, Delo Management Company
Andrey Severilov — Chairman of the Board, Far-Eastern Shipping Company

Airports in the Far Eastern Federal District are vital for socioeconomic development and prosperity of the entire region. In the Far East, the airfield network is the integral infrastructural element linking the vast territories and the Government of the Russian Federation allocates significant financing for its development. Budget funds and private investments are attracted for both modernization of existing facilities and construction of new airports. Focus areas include preserving and restoring landing sites in the hard-to-reach settlements, providing access to mineral deposits, and improving the tourist infrastructure. Modern technological airfields and landing sites are the key to the development of domestic industry, small aviation, as well as the network of local airlines. Airports in FEFD capitals and in hard-to-reach settlements: what should they look like today? Cement runways vs unpaved runways: what are pros and cons? What is the future of the airfields as a major link between remote areas? What can leaders share in the way of best practices of investments in the airport infrastructure of the Far East? What effective state support measures are needed for modernization and construction of airfields?

Moderator:
Fedor Borisov — Chief Expert, Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Panellists:
Alexander Averkiev — Acting Head of the Airport Operations Department, Federal Agency for Air Transport
Konstantin Basyuk — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Khabarovsk Airport
Andrew Vinichenko — General Director, Vladivostok International Airport
Konstantin Sukhorebrik — General Director, Aurora Airlines
Alexey Tsydenov — Head of the Republic of Buryatia
Igor Chalik — Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation
Evgeniy Chudnovskiy — Director General, Airports of Regions (online)

Front row participants:
Ravil Nasybullov — Director of Logistics Department, Norilsk Nickel
Ivan Pechorin — Managing Director, Far East and Arctic Development Corporation
Vladimir Sivtsev — Minister of Transport of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

As sanctions persist, cargo traffic is rerouted from the North-Western regions of Russia to the Far East, thus the question of cutting-edge logistical technologies is more relevant than ever. Electronic paperwork, smart contracts, vessel capacity improvement through processing automation, digitalization of seaports and warehouses – all of this can improve the turnover capacities of the Far Eastern terminals in the short timeframe. The latter is a prerequisite for expanding the logistical attractivity of the region. Which digital logistical solutions are already in place in the Far East? Which international digitalization best practices can be implemented in Russia? Does Russia possess necessary IT resources? Does the state create barriers for going digital? Do state strategies for transportation and digital transformation need to be expedited?

Moderator:
Kirill Tokarev — Editor-in-Chief, Anchor, RBC

Panellists:
Yerkozha Akylbek — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Udokan Copper
Vladimir Ivin — Deputy Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Arkady Korostelev — President, Chairman of the Management Board, FESCO
Le Truong Son — President, Vietnam Businessmen's Association
Aleksey Shilo — Deputy Managing Director, Head, Centre for Corporate Transport Services (CFTO), Russian Railways

Front row participant:
Igor Milashevsky — Chief Executive Officer, GLONASS

The changing conditions in Russia and around the world have resulted in new demands for aircraft operating in the Far East. Ensuring air accessibility in the Far East is the best way to accelerate the socioeconomic development and enhance the investment appeal of the region. In the current conditions, the issue of making flights more accessible in the Far East has taken on even greater importance. Federal budget subsidies are provided for the air transportation of passengers who officially reside in the Far East or are entitled to benefits. Flights are also subsidized for certain routes between the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, with each region of the district co-financing air carriers’ expenses on operating flights on intercity routes. Unified Far Eastern Airline is successfully handling the tasks it has set. How can the positive dynamics that have been seen in domestic transportation be maintained? What can be done to address the limited transport accessibility and connectivity in the Far Eastern Federal District? What can Russian aviation industry propose to supply a unified Far Eastern carrier with aircrafts?

Moderator:
Ivan Pechorin — Managing Director, Far East and Arctic Development Corporation

Panellists:
Anatoliy Bobrakov — Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Oleg Bocharov — Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Evgeniy Ditrikh — Chief Executive Officer, GTLK
Karin Kneissl — Federal Minister for Europe and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria (2017–2019)
Konstantin Sukhorebrik — General Director, Aurora Airlines
Alexey Tsydenov — Head of the Republic of Buryatia
Igor Chalik — Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation
Andrey Chikhanchin — First Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Commerce and Finance, Aeroflot

Front row participants:
Fedor Borisov — Chief Expert, Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Anton Eremin — Deputy General Director, Siberia Airlines (S7 Airlines) (online)
Mikhail Kuznetsov — Director, Eastern State Planning Center (FANU Vostokgosplan)
Vyacheslav Loginov — First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

The geopolitical shifts have had a major impact on global markets and brought about structural changes not only in energy and food supply, but also IT. Asia is becoming a new centre of competencies and knowledge, and a hub for the development of IT and the creation of innovative digital products. The development of strategic technological ties with friendly Asian countries is the key to mutually beneficial and long-term cooperation. The discussion will cover the prospect of implementing joint IT projects and the development of marketing, legal and consulting support for Russian IT businesses seeking to enter Asian markets. What are the new drivers pushing the global IT industry forward? Which structural changes being observed in IT are the result of the current geopolitical situation? What are the prospects for the growth of cross-border e-commerce with Asia, and how will this affect the Russian market? What are the current relations between Russian and Asian IT companies in terms of sharing knowledge and competencies? How can the level of technological and educational cooperation with Asian partners be boosted? What can be done to help the domestic IT sector enter Asian markets? What is the key to a successful model for cooperation with Asia?

Moderator:
Vadim Glushchenko — Director, Center for Global IT-Cooperation

Panellists:
Kirill Bulgakov — First Deputy General Director, T1 Group
Milos Jovanovic — President, Executive Director, OpenLink Group
Artyom Mikhailov — Production Director, e-legion
Maya Suyunchaliyeva — Leading Specialist, Kazakhstan Agrarian National University
Elena Chernykh — Commercial Director of CITIC Telecom SPS for Europe (online)
Evgeny Chugunov — General Director, Cross Technologies