On 18 February 2020, the interregional conference on strategic cooperation between Germany and Russia took place in the House of German Economy in Berlin. The topic of the conference organized by the Russian-German Chamber of Commerce together with the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) was ‘Innovations as the Driver of Economic Growth’.

A meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and the Secretary General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi took place in Moscow.

The list of the countries whose citizens can visit the Far Eastern Federal District on an electronic visa was expanded from 18 to 53. Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation signed the appropriate order on 24 January 2020.

Experts and analysts from the Roscongress Foundation along with Russian News Agency TASS have prepared a special issue of the Roscongress Insider publication dedicated to the results of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on 4–6 September 2019.

The Russian Government’s Transport Commission has approved the construction of a bridge to Yelena Island in Vladivostok, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Kozlov announced during Days of the Far East Festival in Moscow.

Vostok Fashion Day, a presentation of the Russian Far East designer collections, took place in Moscow. The event was organized by the Roscongress Foundation as part of the ‘Days of the Far East in Moscow’, a festival held on 2–14 December. The best Far Eastern designs were presented at the innovative Hyundai Motorstudio multi-format brand space.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with representatives of the German business community at the Bocharov Ruchey residence in Sochi. The meeting was attended by CEOs from leading Russian and German companies as well as representatives of the Russian Government.

The Pavilion of the Republic of Buryatia was named the best regional exposition at the Far East Street exhibition, which took place in Vladivostok on 3–8 September as part of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum. This decision was made by the EEF Organizing Committee.

Collections of prominent designers from the Far East will be presented on 11 December at Vostok Fashion Day in Moscow. The event is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation as part of the Days of the Far East in Moscow and will be held at the innovative Hyundai Motorstudio multi-format brand space.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved a plan for the implementation of the Russky Island Development Concept. The corresponding directive was posted on the Government’s website on 3 December 2019.

The annual Olympic meeting was held on 28 November in Moscow. Speaking at the event, the President of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov emphasized the importance of events with the participation of the leaders of the National Olympic Committees of Japan, China and Korea, held during the 5th Eastern Economic Forum, and noted the expanding cooperation with the Roscongress Foundation.

The ‘Days of the Far East in Moscow’ festival will be held for the third time on 2–14 December. The central event of the programme will be a festival for young people, which will be held at the Expocentre on 12–14 December. Muscovites and guests of the capital will have a chance to learn about career, educational, business, and tourism opportunities in the Far Eastern Federal District as well as the culture, traditions, and cuisine of the Far Eastern regions.

The Eastern Economic Forum is slated to become a permanent platform with events under the EEF umbrella, including field sessions in Far Eastern regions, occurring throughout the year. The issues discussed at these events will shape the business programme of the Forum itself. This decision was reached following an Eastern Economic Forum 2020 Organizing Committee meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev.

Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on expansion of the list of subsidized passenger air routes from and to the Far East for 2020. Prime Minister of the Russian Federation announced that at the meeting with deputy prime ministers on 18 November 2019.

At the BRICS Business Forum in Brazil’s capital, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited participants to continue their work at the BRICS summit in St. Petersburg in July 2020. He also invited official representatives and business leaders of BRICS member countries to attend major business forums in Russia, including the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled for 3–6 June 2020, and the Eastern Economic Forum 2–5 September 2020 in Vladivostok.