28 April 2025

Yury Trutnev: EEF big contributor to development of Far East and President’s instructions

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev chaired a meeting in Vladivostok on preparations in the lead-up to the 10th Eastern Economic Forum, which is scheduled to take place on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University on 3–6 September. The EEF is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

“The Eastern Economic Forum has contributed much over the years to the development of the Far East and the fulfilment of the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. Thousands of people from all over the world attend the EEF every year, and no sanctions or anything else will succeed in weakening interest in it. The Russian Far East is a huge region, and its development affects its neighbours and the entire world. We will do our best as always to ensure that our guests receive all the information they seek and are able to carry out their work in comfort and safety at the Eastern Economic Forum,” Trutnev said as he opened the meeting.

The composition of the Forum programme was considered in detail.  

“We discussed possible themes for the EEF, and I believe it would be impossible to ignore the Soviet nation’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. Our proposal for the main theme is going to be something like ‘The Far East: From Victory to Victory’, though we’ll think a bit more about the exact wording. The Second World War ended in the Far East. The President of the Russian Federation has ordered us to prepare a major exhibition on the island of Shumshu, where the Kuril landing took place, to educate young people and remind all of us about the heroic feats that led to the great victory,” Trutnev said.

The Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic suggested including in the business programme topics of vital importance to regional development and possible integration with the economy of the broader Asia-Pacific region.

“We would focus in particular on technological development. Technology is changing the world now. It is changing the very fabric of life. And many of these technologies either originate in Asia or are first brought to market here. We would like to see the Far East play a bigger role in this process and believe it can. We would like to use new tools like our international advanced-development territories to ensure that these technologies are created and replicated in Russia,” Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov said.

First Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation and Director of the Eastern Economic Forum Igor Pavlov touched on organizational issues and how preparations for the 10th Eastern Economic Forum were getting along.

“A great many events have been planned for EEF 2025, including the ‘Welcome to the Far East!’ exhibition, which traditionally enjoys the participation of federal ministries and agencies. And the sports programme will include a special patriotic Parade of Sails, rowing competitions, a hockey match, a run, and more,” Pavlov said.

According to Governor of Primorsky Territory Oleg Kozhemyako, the region has been following the roadmap laid out last year in its preparations for the Forum. Funds have been set aside in the regional budget for the construction of the region’s pavilion at the Far East Street exhibition, sports and cultural programmes, medical care, and road inspections. A special unit has been tasked with ensuring electrical supply, and preparations are underway on transmission lines and at power facilities. Law enforcement agencies are coming together to create a task force to ensure public order and security. 25 hotels in Vladivostok and Artem are on call to accommodate Forum guests and participants in 1,600 rooms.

Mayor of Vladivostok Konstantin Shestakov reported on the measures being implemented as part of the preparations for the Forum in the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District in landscaping, road infrastructure, sanitation and security, building facades, and catering and cultural events. Work has been planned to repair roads, paint elevated and underground pedestrian crossings, and fix metal and concrete fences, bus stops, and bridges. The storm water drainage system will also be cleaned, sunken manholes fixed, pavement and curbs touched up, graffiti and unauthorized advertising removed, and concrete surfaces and road infrastructure painted. The city itself will receive an important facelift, with private investors funding 10 objets d’art across the route that will be travelled by guests through the city. Special events, concerts, and evening programmes are also being planned for the city’s open-air venues, with additional cultural initiatives for Forum participants and the residents of Vladivostok in development.

Far Eastern Federal University President Boris Korobets spoke about the preparation of the Far Eastern Federal University campus for the Forum, with large-scale modernization of infrastructure to begin in May and student service brigades to take part in campus renovation work for the first time this year, for which volunteers are currently being recruited. For the fourth year in a row, FEFU will work together with the Russian Znanie Society to organize a lecture hall for the students and youth of Primorsky Territory at the Forum. 350 top students and talented schoolchildren will attend in person, with another 8.5 million people expected to join the event online. This year, the lecture will focus on the end of World War II, the contribution of the Soviet nation to the fight against fascism, and the events of the Soviet-Japanese War of 1945. A new visual attraction will be installed in the park on FEFU’s central square in the form of a 50-metre-high flagpole flying a 150-square-metre tricolour. As part of the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland announced by the President of Russia, an Alley of Heroes will be established in the campus park and dedicated to the Russian heroes serving their country in the special military operation from all eleven regions of the Far East.

The regions of the Far East are also preparing for this tenth anniversary forum. As in the past, they will present their economic achievements and unique culture and customs at the Far East Street exhibition. 11 region and five industry pavilions have been planned this year: two pavilions for the Ministry of Sport of Russia, the ‘Business’ and ‘GTO Arena’; the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation’s ‘Developing the Far East’ Pavilion; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia’s ‘Falcon House’ Pavilion; and the ‘Corporation Turizm.RF’ Pavilion. The pavilions dedicated to the regions will focus on economic and social achievements of the past ten years, provide information about investment projects, advanced technological developments, and the implementation of master plans for the development of the cities of the Far East, and the celebration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. An alley dedicated to brands from the Far East is being organized in conjunction with ASI and will present the goods manufactured in the region.

Also discussed during the meeting were issues of sanitary and epidemiological safety to be addressed during the preparation for EEF 2025.

“The EEF is a well-prepared, balanced tool for attracting investment to the Far East that allows all federal executive authorities to see whether they are fulfilling the President’s instructions and for investors to understand that they are on the right track. And we will protect what we have here, even as we turn now to the content and move forward, work on the sessions, and think about how to set the right tasks,” Trutnev said in conclusion.

 

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