Round-up of the Eastern Economic Forum 2017

14 September 2017

Round-up of the Eastern Economic Forum 2017

The third Eastern Economic Forum was held on 6–7 September 2017 in Vladivostok. Its main topic was ‘The Russian Far East: Creating a New Reality’.

5 September was the starting day of the Forum.

Twenty-six events were held that day in the format of sessions, panel and open discussions, presentations and discussion platforms, roundtables and master classes.

The Far East Street exhibition was opened, demonstrating the specifics of Far Eastern regions. Each of the nine territories of the Far Eastern Federal District had its own stand presenting the economic potential, cultural traditions and tourism opportunities of the area. The opening ceremony was led by Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev.

The exhibition welcomed the Forum participants on 5-8 September and the inhabitants and guests of Vladivostok on 9–10 September 2017. Over 50 thousand people visited it in that period.

EEF Business Programme

A total of 83 events were held as part of the Forum. The key discussions were led in four key areas:

Economic Policy in Russia’s East: What’s Next?;
Doing Business in the Russian Far East;
We Are Neighbours: Earning Through Cooperation;
The Russian Far East: Creating a New Quality of Life by Responding to Challenges.

Five country-level business dialogues took place at the Forum (Russia–China, Russia–Republic of Korea, Russia–Japan, Russia–ASEAN, Russia–India: Identifying New Opportunities).

A plenary session with participation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe entitled ‘The Russian Far East: Creating a New Reality’ was the cornerstone event of the Forum. The plenary session was moderated by Chairman of Hang Lung Properties Ronnie Chichung Chan.

The following events also took place as part of the Forum:

‘Intellectual Property: a Regional Development Tool’ International Forum;
EEF Youth Platform;
The 2nd Russia–ASEAN University Forum;
The 6^th APEC Conference on Cooperation in Higher Education;
Youth Enterprise Forum: ‘A point of attraction – the Russian Far East’;
Master Class by School of Exports, Russian Export Center;
Strategic session hosted by the Public Council of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East ‘A Good Region Does Good Business’;
Presentation of the FEFU Executive MBA Programme ‘Business in Asia: Launching and Promoting’;
Stage of the World Sports Forum.

A total of 83 events were held as part of the Forum.

‘Over the last three years, a new economic space has been created in the Russian Far East. 19 federal laws, 72 acts of the Russian Government, 4 development institutes – these constitute the foundation of the new model of investment appeal of Russia’s Far East, recognised as one of the best in the Asian Pacific Region by the leaders of the 837 investment projects currently operating in the Far East. Those include investors from Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Vietnam, India, Australia and other countries’, Yury Trutnev said at the opening of the Eastern Economic Forum 2017.

2. Participants

The Forum had over 6,000 participants from more than 60 countries, including 1,094 media representatives and 103 leaders of foreign companies, such as:

· Asfari Ayman, CEO, Petrofac Group Ltd;

· Thai Huong, Chairman, TH Group;

· Ronnie Chichung Chan, Chairman of the Management Board, Hang Lung Group Limited;

· Navrattan Kothari, Chairman, KGK Group;

· Chen Lip Keong, Founder and CEO, NagaCorp Ltd;

· Timothy Patrick McNally, Chairman of the Management Board, NagaCorp Ltd;

· Zhu Haising, CEO, China State Energy Engineering Corporation Ltd;

· Song Jingui, Chairman of the Management Board, Haihua Industry Group Ltd;

· Qi Meisheng, CEO and President, China Oilfield Services Ltd;

· René Berkvens, CEO, Damen Shipyards Group NV;

· Sultan Ahmad Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, DP World Group Limited;

· Young-Pyo Hong, Acting Chairman and Acting President, Export-Import Bank of Korea;

· Sam-hyun Ka, President, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd;

· Jin-Haeng Chung, President, Hyundai Motor Company;

· Cho Hwan-Ik, CEO and President, Korea Electric Power Corporation;

· Wangi Ahn, Acting President, CEO, Korea Gas Corporation;

· Park Dae Young, CEO, President, Samsung Heavy Industries Co Ltd;

· Sang Rok-Sung, President, CEO, Hyundai Engineering Co Ltd;

· Brian Chang, Director, Singapore Oil and Energy Pte Ltd;

· Ronald Pollett, President, GE Rus Ltd;

· Masaji Santo, President, CEO, Chiyoda Corporation;

· Yukio Temma, General Director, Hokkaido Corporation;

· Kazuhiko Mori, President, Iida Group Holdings Co;

· Yoichi Nishikawa, CEO, Iida Group Holdings Co;

· Keisuke Kuroki, President, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation;

· Hideo Ogawa, President, Japan Pipeline Development & Operation Inc;

· Masayuki Sato, Chairman, Representative Director, JGC Corporation;

· Teruo Asada, Chairman of the Management Board, Marubeni Corporation;

· Masami Iijima, Chairman of the Management Board, Representative Director, Mitsui & Co Ltd;

· Takashi Yamauchi, Chairman of the Management Board, Taisei Corporation;

· Hajime Oshita, President, CEO, JFE Engineering Corporation;

· Kazuo Furukawa, Chairman, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

· Nathan Hunt, Founder of the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association;

· Matthias Schepp, Chairman, Russian-German Chamber of Commerce.

As well as 240 leaders of Russian companies, including:

· Andrey Akimov, Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprombank;

· Oleg Belozerov, President, Russian Railways;

· Vladimir Bogdanov, General Director, Surgutneftegas;

· Andrei Boginsky, CEO, Russian Helicopters;

· Andrei Bokarev, President, Transmashholding;

· Viktor Vekselberg, President, Skolkovo Foundation;

· Sergei Gorkov, Chairman, Development and Foreign Economic Activity Bank – Vneshekonombank State Company;

· Pavel Grachev, General Director, Polyus;

· Herman Gref, President, Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank;

· Oleg Deripaska, President, RUSAL Global Management BV;

· Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, RDIF;

· Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Management Board, General Director, Gazprom Neft;

· Igor Zyuzin, Chairman of the Management Board, Mechel;

· Sergei Ivanov, President, Alrosa;

· Dmitry Konov, Chairman of the Management Board, SIBUR;

· Andrey Kostin, President, Chairman of the Management Board, VTB Bank;

· Alexey Likhachev, Director General, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM;

· Ziyavudin Magomedov, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Summa Group Ltd;

· Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Management Committee, Gazprom;

· Igor Sechin, CEO, Chairman of the Management Board, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, Rosneft Oil Company;

· Anatoly Chubais, Chairman of the Executive Board, ROSNANO Managing Company Ltd;

· Nikolay Shulginov, Chairman of the Management Board, General Director, PJSC RusHydro.

The following high-ranking foreign politicians visited the Forum: Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea Kim Dong-yeon; Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Central Committee, Head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Affairs Nguyen Van Binh; Minister of Foreign Affairs of India Sushma Swaraj; Governor of California (USA) Edmund Gerald Brown; Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, Minister of Domestic Security, Minister of Defense of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Etienne Schneider; Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea Kim Dong-yeon; Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Rashid Alimov, and other officials.

Ten foreign ministers attended EEF 2017: Sushma Swaraj, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister, India; Kim Yong Jae, Ministry of Foreign Economic Affairs, Minister, Democratic People's Republic of Korea; Dangaa Ganbat, Ministry of Road and Transport Development, Minister, Mongolia; Kang Kyung-wha, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister, the Republic of Korea; Paik Ungyu, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Minister, the Republic of Korea; Kim Jong-chun, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Minister, the Republic of Korea; Katsunobu Kato, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Minister, Japan; Tarō Kōno, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister, Japan; Hiroshige Seko, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Minister, Japan; Masaji Matsuyama, the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan, Minister for IT Policy, Japan.

Heads of diplomatic corps of 10 states: Argentina, Brunei Darussalam, India, Iran, China, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, South Africa, Japan.

Among Russian officials, three Deputy Prime Ministers, 15 ministers, 14 heads of federal agencies and 16 heads of Russian Federation territories participated in the Forum.

3. The media

1,094 media representatives (837 Russian and 257 foreign) of 363 organizations (233 Russian and 130 foreign) covered the Forum this year. Applications were received from 20 foreign countries: UK, Vietnam, Ghana, Germany, India, Spain, Italy, China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, USA, Turkey, Philippines, Finland, France, Estonia, Japan.

4. Agreements

217 agreements worth RUB 2,496 billion were signed at the Forum (only agreements, the value of which does not constitute a commercial secret).

The main agreements were:

· Agreement between Far East Development Corporation and Eastern Petrochemical Company on an investment project for setting up oil refining and petrochemical plants to produce Euro-5 motor fuels and other petrochemicals, scope of investments – RUB 630 billion;

· Agreement between the Far East Development Ministry and Nakhodka Fertiliser Plant on construction of the Nakhodka Fertiliser Plant, scope of investments – RUB 387.7 billion.

The documents finalized at the Forum also included a series of agreements and memoranda on cooperation between the Roscongress Foundation and its regional partners from among business and economic associations: the Investment Development Agency of Novosibirsk Region, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the Japan Association for Trade with Russia & NIS (ROTOBO), the Chinese Overseas Development Association (CODA), the Philippine-Russia Business Assembly (PRBA), the ADC Forum (Australian Davos Connection Ltd).

5. Volunteers

500 volunteers from Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Blagoveschensk, Sakhalin Region, St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk helped in conducting the Forum.

6. Exhibitions

Several exhibition formats were presented at the Forum, including:

· ‘Far East Development’ exhibition presented mechanisms for entering the Far East Federal District market (Priority Development Areas, the Free Port), investment opportunities, activity and goals of development institutes, as well as current and future investment projects.

· Welcome to the Far East exhibition presented the key industries of the Far Eastern Federal District, its policy in the area of international cooperation, industrial investment opportunities and preferences, macro-regional megaprojects.

· Business areas of EEF 2017 partners (including information partners) expanded the Forum space by visualizing the positions and achievements of EEF partner companies. Business areas were also used for negotiations and interviews.

· Primeval Russia photo exhibition of SUEK Company in the Russian regions as part of EEF 2017. The All-Russia festival of nature entitled ‘Primeval Russia’ has been celebrated since 2014 to promote preservation of Russia’s natural and cultural heritage, development of domestic ecological and ethno-tourism. Art work of the best Russian photographers was displayed at the exhibition, demonstrating Russian nature in all its diversity and splendour: picturesque landscapes and unique, almost psychological portraits of wild animals.

· Joint TASS–SUEK photo exhibition as part of EEF 2017. Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK) and TASS Russian News Agency presented a photo exhibition depicting the coal industry of Russia’s Far East. The history of field development, state-of-the-art mining machinery, fantastic landscape – all this was reflected in the photos showing the colossal resource potential and huge role of the coal industry for the national economy and social stability.

· Russian-Chinese Friendship Society photo exhibition. The activities of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society help in strengthening humanitarian links, developing and extending ‘popular diplomacy’, building up and reinforcing inter-regional cooperation, preserving historical memory, popularizing cultural and historical heritage, traditions, customs and lifestyle of the peoples of Russia and China, promotes collaboration between the two countries in the area of modern technology, communications, education, science, culture, ecology, sports, commerce, and youth exchange programmes.

· The following companies presented their show benches: RusHydro, VTB, Rosneft, Polyus-Zoloto, HYUNDAI MOTOR CIS, Russian Railways, FESCO (Summa Group), Gazprombank, Housing Mortgage Credit Agency (AIZhK), Russian Export Centre (REC), Aeroflot, ALROSA, Rosselkhozbank, Kolmar, Coca-Cola, Sberbank, Nornickel.

Other participants in the Forum exhibitions included:

· WFYS (World Festival of Youth and Students),

· Republic of Belarus,

· Mongolia,

· Gazprom Blagoveschensk,

· Far East Street General Partner (official partner of the Forum),

· Housing and public utilities agency,

· Vladmorrybport (Vladivostok Marine Fishing Port),

· Skolkovo (Technopark),

· Renaissance Development (NEVA TOWERS Residential Estate),

· Insystems Commercial Company.

7. Forum novelties

The EEF 2017 participants were welcome to enjoy several novelties, including:

Summary service

The participants in the Forum had an opportunity to use an information product provided by TASS and Roscongress Foundation called ‘Summary’, giving a brief analytical message with a summary of all the EEF discussions. The service was available in Russian and English in the official EEF 2017 mobile application and on the Eastern Economic Forum website.

VR/AR Technology Demo Space

The Roscongress Foundation presented a VR/AR Technology Space at the Forum, demonstrating application of VR/AR technology. In the two Forum days, more than 300 people visited the VR Space. Newsroom, a centre for VR/AR technology demonstration and training for business, was the technology partner of the VR Space. The show bench presented innovative solutions for various areas: industry, banking, construction and architecture, education, art etc. A virtual tour over a museum and a flat, a VR cinema, remote corporate training, simulators, virtual test drives and negotiations – Newsroom selected more than 30 cases for demonstration to the business community, representatives of foreign delegations and officials at EEF.

Artistic design of the site

The Roscongress Foundation, in cooperation with the Russian Museum, developed the artistic design of the site using fragments of paintings of Russian avant-garde artists.

8. Sporting and cultural programme

In addition to an intense business timetable, an extensive cultural and sports programme was prepared for the Forum participants.

International Jigoro Kano Junior Judo Tournament for sportsmen under 21 years old was held as part of the sports programme of the Forum under the patronage of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The EEF sports programme also included a charity race in aid of the Amur Tiger and Far Eastern Leopard, the 2^nd Sailing Regatta for the Roscongress Foundation Cup, gala hockey and basketball matches, International Mass Wrestling Tournament, Tennis Tournament for the Roscongress Foundation Cup, and the Far Eastern Corporate Games. The three-times Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Alexander Karelin, Olympic judo champions Mansur Isaev, Arsen Galstyan and Tagir Khaybulaev, the recurrent world swimming championess Yulia Efimova and the Olympic modern pentathlon champion Alexander Lesun conducted their master classes as part of the Olympic Patrol project.

The EEF cultural programme included the Far East Street Exhibition, a reception given by the Governor of Primorye Territory, welcome cocktails by the EEF 2017 Organizing Committee and concerts for Vladivostok inhabitants and guests on the city’s central square on 6, 7 and 8 September. A special repertoire was prepared by the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre for the duration of the Forum: 6 September – a concert by the Soloists of Moscow chamber ensemble headed by Artistic Director Yury Bashmet with participation of young soloists of the All-Russian Youth Symphonic Orchestra; 7 and 8 September – the Sleeping Beauty ballet. A gala concert dedicated to the 385^th anniversary of Yakutia’s affiliation with the Russian Federation and the 95^th anniversary of the establishment of the Yakutia Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was presented by the masters of arts of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) on the stage of the Primorye Philharmonic Hall on 7 September. On 5–8 September, the Forum participants had an opportunity to visit the Educational and Scientific Museum of the Far Eastern Federal University, the Primorye Art Gallery, the Primorye Arsenyev Museum and the Artetazh Gallery free of charge on presentation of their badges. An extensive excursion programme was also prepared for the participants, including tours around the city of Vladivostok, its historical sights and surroundings, sea trips and a visit to the Aquarium.

9. Logistics

Air travel

Aeroflot was the official Forum airline. A total of 1,748 Moscow – Vladivostok – Moscow tickets were reserved specially for EEF delegates. Booking was available in the Flight Booking Section of the Participant’s Personal Page – on 2–7 September 2017 for Moscow–Vladivostok flights, and on 7–10 September 2017 for Vladivostok–Moscow flights.

Vehicles

Hyundai Motor CIS provided 150 Genesis and 50 Hyundai H-1 cars for the Forum.

Hotel accommodation

5,880 hotel rooms in 22 hotels in Vladivostok and on the Far Eastern Federal University campus were booked for the Forum participants, staff and media.

10. Infrastructure

The Eastern Economic Forum was held on the premises of the modern campus of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) located on the embankment of Ajax Bay (Russky Island). The FEFU campus is the most renowned venue for large-scale international events in Russia’s East and Asia Pacific. FEFU is situated close to major transport hubs. Travel time from Vladivostok International Airport (Knevichi) to the FEFU campus is approximately 45 minutes.

EEF guests were welcome to use the gyms with exercise machines and fitness facilities, indoor swimming pools, outdoor and indoor games grounds, including a football field, tennis courts and race tracks.

11. Information services

This year, the Forum participants were offered the following information services:

· App for mobile devices (provides information about the Forum programme, press events, offers a site navigation system, allows viewing of Forum session broadcasts, exchange of messages, making of appointments and a personal Forum timetable).

· EEF photobank (for viewing and downloading photos from the business and cultural programme of the Forum in high definition; the service has been adapted for mobile devices).

· Broadcasting of the Forum sessions and video reports produced by TV channels (direct broadcast of the plenary session and key events of the Forum in all EEF buildings, as well as video reports on the Forum by major Russian and foreign TV channels).

· Online broadcasting of the EEF 2017 business programme on the Forum website (the broadcast archive will be available on the official EEF website following the Forum).

12. Partners

1. General partners

1.1. Polyus Krasnoyarsk JSC

1.2. ROSNEFT Oil Company PJSC

1.3. Gazprom PJSC

1.4. RusHydro PJSC

1.5. Housing Mortgage Credit Agency JSC

2. Forum official car:

2.1. Hyundai Motor CIS Ltd.

3. Forum official airline

3.1. Aeroflot

4. Strategic partner

4.1. PJSC ROSSETI

5. Transport partner

5.1. Mercedes-Benz RUS

6. Official sponsor

6.1. VTB Bank

7. Official partners

7.1. FESCO Transportation Group

7.2. CC Kolmar

7.3. Gazprombank

7.4. ALROSA Air Company

7.5. State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM

7.6. Russian Railways

7.7. Rosselkhozbank

7.8. Russian Export Center

7.9. Federal Grid Company of United Energy Systems

7.10. TEK-Mosenergo (Nakhodka Fertilizers Plant)

7.11. Far East and Baykal Region Development Fund

7.12. ANPO Far East Investment and Export Agency

8. Business programme partners

8.1. Port Management Company Ltd.

8.2. Vostochny Express Bank

8.3 Tambov Bacon Ltd. (Rusagro Group Ltd.)

8.4. MMC Norilsk Nickel

8.5. Sberbank

8.6. RUSAL (RUSAL Global Management BV)

9. Official uniform provider

9.1. BTC Group

10. Official water provider

10.1. BAIKALSEA COMPANY

11. Organizing partners

11.1. Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK)

11.2. PepsiCo Russia

11.3. Coca Cola Export Corporation Ltd.

11.4. Korenovsky Concentrated Milk Factory

11.5. ROSTELECOM PJSC

12. Forum logistics partner

12.1. Russian Post FSUE

13. Cultural programme partners:

13.1. METALLOINVEST MC

13.2. Ernst & Young Limited

14. Cultural programme sponsor

14.1. PepsiCo Russia

15. Sports programme partners

15.1. FESCO Transportation Group

15.2. BTC Group

15.3. Bank Rossiysky Capital

15.4. Onego Shipping Ltd.

Round-up of the Eastern Economic Forum 2017

Read more