9 August 2024
Between 15 July
and 4 August, the idea.roscongress.rf crowdfunding platform solicited
proposals on potential topics for discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum
2024. A total of 990 users
of the platform were approached, with 279 of them submitting 812 proposals. The
subsequent discussion of the proposals attracted over 2,500 comments and
suggestions.
“The Eastern Economic Forum
has become a marquee event, not only for Russia, but for the entire world.
Delegations from dozens of countries come to Vladivostok to discuss the most
pressing economic, social, and political issues, as well as factors that affect
the development of cultural ties. It is here, at the Eastern Economic Forum,
where the most strategic issues in the development of the Far East and the
Asia-Pacific as a whole are discussed. With that said, the Forum is more than
just a platform for discussion. It is a tool for the development of the Russian
Far East, and for the country as a whole. Many of the decisions made and
projects discussed at the Forum have been implemented in the Far Eastern regions,
and then spread to other territories inside our country. The purpose of
collecting proposals on potential topics for discussion at the Eastern Economic
Forum was to make sure that we didn’t miss anything important,” said Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian
Federation and Presidential
Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev.
One of the key
issues among the many topics proposed by the project participants was
international cooperation, specifically discussions of the following subjects:
●
various aspects
of creating a single economic space in the Asia-Pacific
●
unlocking the
potential of existing seaports and seaports that are under construction for the
development of trade relations
●
joint research
projects in the region
●
mutual
recognition of patents for inventions
●
seamless
international logistics
●
organization and
development of joint production
●
creating a
positive investment climate in the region
“One of the key priorities of the crowd platform is to get citizens actively involved in the social and business life of the country. The topics proposed by the people who took part in the platform were reflected in the Eastern Economic Forum’s business programme architecture, which has now been made public. I am confident that the ideas considered within the framework of the project will be of great importance for the further development of the Russian Far East and the Asia-Pacific as a whole and will form the basis for concrete decisions aimed at improving the quality of life of the people living in the country and the region,” noted Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the Eastern Economic Forum Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov.
What unites these
proposals is the desire of the participants to predict paths of development
that will benefit Russia in the dynamically developing system of international
relations. Participants are ready to share their experiences and ideas, and to
work together to develop one of the country’s most important regions. The
comments submitted point to the importance of exploiting the potential of the
Russian Far East and Arctic, whose scale has still not been fully explored, as
these territories hold many untapped possibilities.
Another potential
area of discussion that kept coming up was related to the future of individual
territories in the Russian Far East and Arctic. The participants agreed that
the region’s unique geographical location means that special approaches to its
development are needed.
It is almost
impossible to talk about these topics without mentioning demographic problems.
If we want to stop the local population leaving the region and encourage people
to move here, then we need to address the following issues:
●
the construction of modern residential
buildings
●
the
creation of new targeted preferential programmes for the region’s residents
(including special-rate mortgages)
●
the
development of a social and transport infrastructure
●
the
creation of new cities and residential areas
The crowdfunding platform participants realize that
the development of the region requires people to live there, a young
population, and trained professionals. Creating a more robust infrastructure
and offering benefits to residents is a way to support the population of the
Russian Far East and Arctic.
The region plays
a vital role in the development of domestic tourism. According to the
crowdfunding platform participants, this is a consequence of the territory’s
uniqueness, its natural landscape, climate, and its one-of-a-kind flora and
fauna. The development of a tourism infrastructure and hotel services will
undoubtedly attract more visitors, which will help the economy of the region
and the further development of its territories. The tourism industry in the
region can be based, among other things, on the creation of special adventure
tour packages and quests. Tourists will be drawn to the idea of testing their
limits, and will jump at the chance to see some of Russia’s most remote
territories. This is tourism for the strong-willed!
One of the most
important topics discussed was the development of SMEs. The distances between
towns and cities in the region make the delivery of goods expensive. With this
in mind, local food production facilities (meat, fish, and other processing
plants) are an absolute must.
Another group of issues discussed that deserves
special attention is the development of the Russian Arctic:
●
providing
electricity to the region
●
freight
transportation in the Arctic zone
●
filling
jobs
●
the
digitalization and automation of processes carried out in extreme conditions
●
ensuring
the environmental security of the region
On the whole, the
range of topics discussed demonstrated once again how eager the Russian people
are to take part in the discussion of socially important issues. Moreover, the
patriotic spirit of the Russian people, the desire to boost their country’s
standing in international relations, and their commitment to improving the
standard of living of the population were on full display.
Based on the results of the discussions, the
originators of the 25 most popular proposals will be invited to the Eastern
Economic Forum 2024.
The Eastern Economic Forum 2024 will take place from 3 to 6 September at
the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. Roscongress is the
official organizer of the Eastern Economic Forum.
