The development of traditional and new maritime and intermodal freight transport routes through the Far East, the expansion of port infrastructure in this region are among the key priorities of the government agenda in the current geopolitical environment. Upgrading the infrastructure framework in the Far East creates new conditions for expanding the geography of transportation through this region and the growth of freight flows. For example, port capacity expansion projects are being implemented in the region today, and over the past year Russian operators have launched new logistics services from Vladivostok to China, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. With the rapid growth of cargo volumes handled by Far East ports, the digitalization of logistics to reduce clearance time is coming to the forefront. The Russian Far East has significant potential in terms of the introduction of new digital platforms and technological solutions. How can we develop in the context of global digital transformation, and what are the challenges facing players in the Russian transportation and logistics market today, given the development of land and sea trade routes? Are additional technological solutions needed in the Far East in the conditions of growing freight traffic: infrastructure development projects, introduction of new digital services, etc.? How should Russia's transportation infrastructure develop for the purposes of implementing digital management principles in the transportation system? What government support measures are needed for the Russian transportation sector to accelerate the launch of new routes through the Far East and the development of ship repair and shipbuilding services in this region?

Moderator:
Alexandra Suvorova — Anchor, Russia 24 TV Channel

Panellists:
Oleg Belozerov — Chief Executive Officer – Chairman of the Executive Board, Russian Railways
Ruslan Davydov — Acting Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Ekaterina Lyakhova — Director for Business Development, The State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Veronika Nikishina — General Director, Russian Export Center
Dmitry Pankov — General Director, Delo Management Company
Andrey Severilov — Chairman of the Board, FESCO
Mya Tun Oo — Deputy Prime Minister, Union Minister for Transport and Communications of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Yunlong Shang — Chairman, Heilongjiang Transportation Investment Group
Alexander Shokhin — President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

Front row participants:
Dapeng Ji — General Director, Chery Commercial Vehicle Company
Fedor Kirsanov — General Director, Atlas Mining
Alexander Osipov — Governor of Trans-Baikal Territory
Aleksey Raikevich — General Director, GLONASS

Transport and logistics companies have faced new challenges in recent times as logistics flows have been redistributed, new transport corridors have been created, and existing ones have been modernized. Moreover, there is now an even greater dependency on digital solutions, which optimize all links of the transport chain and are an integral tool for the logistics industry, particularly for companies that simultaneously use multiple modes of transport, such as sea, rail, and road. On the whole, digital solutions produce the best results in terms of the ratio of investments and the effect that is achieved. Such solutions include harmonizing multimodal electronic document management with partner countries, electronic navigation seals, and electronic queues at border crossings. These services enable companies to increase operational efficiency, and the state to control and manage supply chains, both domestically and abroad. How effective are digital services that ensure the seamless delivery of goods within a country and abroad? What are the prospects for developing electronic document management in the transport industry? What are some of the initial results of the electronic queue system? How effective has the experience of using electronic navigation seals been?

Moderator:
Polina Davidova — Director, Digital Transport and Logistics Association

Panellists:
Dmitriy Bakanov — Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation
Albert Liholet — Director General, Global Ports Management Company
Dmitry Surovets — Vice President for Information Technology, FESCO
Evgeny Charkin — Deputy Managing Director, Russian Railways
Artem Sheikin — Member of the Federation Council Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Constitutional Legislation and State Building

The Northern Sea Route is part of a new transport corridor benefiting the socio-economic development of the Arctic and Far East and the development of a new international route for the sustainability of global supply chains. More than 2.5 million people inhabit the Russian Arctic, and significant mineral resources are concentrated there. Backbone infrastructure is being established for this new global trade artery, the perfect logistical model linking the country’s East and West. We are talking about cabotage shipping and redirecting cargo flows from Arctic railways and rivers to sea transport in the waters of the NSR and international transit. The NSR ensures Russia’s Arctic and Far East remain connected to other countries, opens up opportunities for their integration into the world trade system, and increases the sustainability of regional and global supply chains. The swift development of the NSR places the issue of Arctic shipbuilding front and centre. In addition to icebreakers, the NSR will need dozens of new ice vessels of the highest class in the near future. These include tankers, bulk carriers, supply vessels, container ships, and port fleets. What logistical schemes for exporting cargo will the new geopolitical environment favor? What infrastructure needs to be created to ensure the NSR can operate sustainably as a national maritime transport corridor between the Far East and European Russia?

Moderator:
Mikhail Bazhenov — Partner, Capital Projects & Infrastructure, Debt Advisory Leader, Technologies of Trust

Panellists:
Evgeniy Ambrosov — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, NOVATEK
Andrey Grachev — Vice President for Federal and Regional Programs, Norilsk Nickel
Gadzhimagomed Guseynov — First Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Evgeniy Ditrikh — Chief Executive Officer, GTLK
Viktor Evtukhov — State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Sergei Ivanov — Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport
Arkady Korostelev — President, Chairman of the Management Board, FESCO
Vladimir Panov — Special Representative for the Development of the Arctic, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Sergey Frank — Chairman of the Council of Participants in Navigation on the NSR
Paul Fuhs — President Emeritus, Marine Exchange of Alaska (video message)
Ke Jin — Representative, NewNew Shipping Line

Front row participants:
Igor Borisevich — Deputy Head, Federal Medical-Biological Agency of the Russian Federation
Daniil Martynov — Advisor to the Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters
Nikolay Shabalin — Executive Director, Marine Research Center at Moscow State University (MRC LMSU)

The social and economic development of the Far Eastern Federal District and the everyday lives of all those living in the Far East are inextricably tied to the Eastern Polygon. Every new facility at the Eastern Polygon, just like every new measure taken to expand its carrying capacity, is an important step towards a more stable socio-economic situation in the regions of the Far East and all of Russia. However, the Eastern Polygon is already operating at maximum capacity. And Russia’s turn to the East, effective 2022, has aggravated the problem. According to experts, the turn has been taken. Increased load on the Far East’s primary transport artery is holding back the region’s development and keeping Russia from fully developing its trade and economic relations with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. As such, further steps must be taken to address the Eastern Polygon’s infrastructural shortfalls. How and when should BAM and the Trans-Siberian be modernized? Which facilities are experiencing the most serious capacity constraints? Should private funds be brought into the Eastern polygon? What mechanisms can be used to attract investment?

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

Panellists:
Pavel Brusser — First Vice President, Gazprombank
Mikhail Degtyarev — Governor of Khabarovsky Territory
Artem Dovlatov — Deputy Chairman, VEB.RF
Valentin Ivanov — Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation
Andrey Makarov — Deputy General Director, Russian Railways
Irina Olkhovskaya — General Director, Universal Logistics
Sergey Shishkarev — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Delo Group of Companies; Chairman of the Supreme Council, Handball Federation of Russia

Front row participant:
Olga Kharlamova — Vice President – Director of Key Accounts Department, Sberbank

The topic of food security and continuous supply chains is moving to the forefront of the global agenda, affecting a wide range of issues of social and political stability and the maintenance of living standards, primarily in developing countries. The EAEU offers comprehensive solutions factoring in across-the-board interests of producers and consumers, and stands ready to upscale them. The Eurasian Agroexpress project has demonstrated convincing results over a very short period, achieving targets set for 2024 in its very first year, transporting over half a million tonnes of agricultural products and food in 2022. Its range of partners is expanding, and the involvement of foreign states is growing, primarily in the Asia–Pacific Region and the North–South Corridor. In parallel, digital logistics technologies are developing, making transportation seamless and taking it to the highest level of competitiveness. Food security for countries. How is the balance between production in the EAEU and demand for agricultural products in foreign markets (China, Vietnam and other APR countries) taking shape? What infrastructure goals have been set within the Eurasian Agroexpress project? How is the transport and logistics and wholesale distribution infrastructure developing in the EAEU and Asia–Pacific Region, and what needs special attention? Introduction of modern international cargo handling standards. What are the features of digitalization, transparency, simplification and acceleration of freight transportation to ensure the proper level of control? How to reduce barriers, including administrative and commercial barriers, introduction of advanced technologies in cargo tracking? What are the benefits of moving to paperless multimodal freight? The need for and advantages of digital platforms for Eurasian Agroexpress participants. What steps need to be taken to increase agricultural exports in EAEU member states? What support measures are most in demand for agricultural producers, the development of transport corridors, and the expansion of access of goods to third country markets?

Moderator:
Andrey Slepnev — Member of the Board, Minister in Charge of Trade, Eurasian Economic Commission

Panellists:
Aleksey Gusev — Minister of Trade and Services of the Republic of Bashkortostan
Alevtina Kirillova — General Director, Eurasian Agrologistics (online)
Oleg Kobyakov — Director, Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Dmitry Murev — General Director, RZD Logistics
Veronika Nikishina — General Director, Russian Export Center
Vitaliy Sergeychuk — Member of the Management Board, VTB Bank
Mya Tun Oo — Deputy Prime Minister, Union Minister for Transport and Communications of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Artem Sharov — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Russian Trade Company (RTK) in China (online)

Exactly one year has passed since the announcement of the Northern Delivery concept. Over the past year, the bill has received all necessary approvals and considerations, and it was officially adopted on 4 August 2023. It will come into effect on 1 April 2024. This federal law is designed to enhance the reliability and timeliness of supply to the Far North and related territories. Most importantly, it will ensure the physical and price accessibility of imported goods for residents of the northern regions.
Based on the adopted law, a new system for managing northern imports will be created, which will include state and municipal support measures, the removal of infrastructure restrictions, and mechanisms to prevent shortages of essential goods. The central element of this system will be the federal state information system for monitoring northern deliveries. This system will ensure the processing and analysis of information regarding northern deliveries, monitor cargo movements, and promptly identify risks of supply disruptions.
What are the ways to increase the efficiency of northern deliveries: legal, transport and logistics, financial aspects, and digital tools? How will the roles and functionality of the authorities in the management of northern deliveries change? What challenges and goals does the new management system pose to the participants in northern delivery?

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

Panellists:
Kirill Bychkov — First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Gadzhimagomed Guseynov — First Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Grigory Ledkov —
Yuliya Morozova — Deputy Chairman, Government of Kamchatskiy Krai
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

Front row participants:
Nikolai Alexeev — General Director, Yakutopttorg
Vladimir Panov — Special Representative for the Development of the Arctic, State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Aleksey Shilo — Deputy Managing Director, Head, Centre for Corporate Transport Services (CFTO), Russian Railways
Anton Yaremchuk — Acting Deputy Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Region

The development of the global maritime logistics industry is part of a long-term trend as production costs decrease, and the green operation of the fleet increases. The extreme increase in orders for new vessels in 2020–2021 was spurred on by the lengthening of global logistics chains and the resulting reduction in turnover, and consequently, the market will welcome a fleet of record capacity in 2023–2025. The green agenda is significantly changing the requirements for new ships: by the beginning of 2023, roughly 40% of vessels built must be capable of running on alternative fuels. And the globalization of maritime logistics has led to an increase in regionalization and initiatives to create national shipping companies. The outlook is ambiguous for projects launched by large conglomerates in digital platforms and information systems. Over the last year and a half, the Russian economy has seen the departure of almost all global sea carriers depart to be replaced by an abundance of smaller operators. Domestic companies are forced to look for new solutions for foreign trade, the bulk of which has traditionally passed through seaports. At the same time, an imbalance in imports and exports, a less efficient fleet, constraints on infrastructure, and operational and regulatory costs have all led to a significant increase in the overall cost of logistics connected to Russia. We must now rush to create a specialized ice-class fleet for the development of transport along the Northern Sea Route and the North–South Transport Corridor. What challenges await Russian maritime logistics in the near future? How can we improve the efficiency of interaction in maritime transport chains? What is the potential for cooperation with transport and logistics companies from the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa? What are the prospects of building a national fleet?

Moderator:
Mikhail Bazhenov — Partner, Capital Projects & Infrastructure, Debt Advisory Leader, Technologies of Trust

Panellists:
Raj Jit Singh Wallia — Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director of DP World Central Asia
Nikita Gusakov — Chief Executive Officer, EXIAR; Senior Vice President, Russian Export Center
Ekaterina Lyakhova — Director for Business Development, The State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM
Andrey Severilov — Chairman of the Board, FESCO
Sergey Shishkarev — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Delo Group of Companies; Chairman of the Supreme Council, Handball Federation of Russia

Russia’s domestic transport and logistics industry is currently developing in a new economic reality. Export and import cargo flows have shifted from west to east, new logistics routes are emerging, and projects to modernize the infrastructure of international transport corridors have gained momentum. Despite the infrastructural constraints, container transportation is rapidly developing and growing in volume with each passing year. Container operators’ investments in the development of transport and logistics centres and sea terminals directly impact the GRP of Russia’s regions, in particular, the Primorye Territory. What role does container transportation play in a country’s socioeconomic development and who is competing with whom on the railways today? How developed is the domestic railway and port infrastructure? How have transport and logistics flows changed and what new international routes have emerged? How do foreign partners assess the potential for cooperation with Russia?

Moderator:
Marianna Ozhereleva — TV presenter; Deputy Executive Director for Public Relations, ESP

Panellists:
Alexey Vladimirov — General Director, Astafiev Terminal
Khasyan Zyabirov — General Director, UgolTrans
Alexander Kakhidze — General Director, FinInvest
Igor Levitin — Aide to the President of the Russian Federation; Secretary, State Council of the Russian Federation
Valeriy Prokopchuk — Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Primorsky Territory
Mya Tun Oo — Deputy Prime Minister, Union Minister for Transport and Communications of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Aleksey Shilo — Deputy Managing Director, Head, Centre for Corporate Transport Services (CFTO), Russian Railways
Andrey Shpilenko — Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Omsk Region, representative of the Omsk Region under the Government of the Russian Federation

Front row participants:
Shamil Baishev — Co-founder, Smart Container
Vladimir Buzanov — Director, VSCT
Vladimir Burovtsev — Rector, Far Eastern State Transport University
Aleksey Gradov — First Deputy General Director, New Land Grain Corridor
Vyacheslav Kvon — Head of Artemovsky Urban Okrug
Mikhail Khardikov — Operations Director, En+ Group

The Unified Far Eastern Airline is a large-scale project aimed at ensuring the Far East can be accessed by air, improving the quality of life of those living in the Far East, making the region more attractive to investors, and accelerating social and economic development there. What changes must be made to the regulation of air travel to hard-to-reach settlements to help accelerate the development of infrastructure on the ground and the network of routes crossing the Far Eastern Federal District? What has already been accomplished in three and a half years building a unified Far Eastern airline and what problem-solving mechanisms do the project participants – regional authorities and Aurora Airlines - foresee? What has the airline already done to drive growth and what more needs to be done in the coming years? What developments from aircraft manufacturers and new domestically produced aircraft already satisfy the objectives of the aviation industry in the Far Eastern Federal District, and what has yet to be developed, what difficulties still need to be overcome? What are the prospects for new aircraft deliveries to a unified Far Eastern airline? To what extent do the economic and technical indicators of the new equipment serve for the resolution of the tasks aviators face? How should we go about training flight personnel for new domestic aircraft and a whole new generation of aviators in the Far Eastern Federal District? How can we make sure the infrastructure on the ground matches the scale of the tasks facing the unified Far Eastern airline?

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

Panellists:
Alexander Averkiev — Head of the Airport Operations Department, Federal Agency for Air Transport
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
Pavel Simigin — Member of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federationon for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic
Konstantin Sukhorebrik — General Director, Aurora Airlines

Front row participants:
Yakov Dalinger — Vice-Rector, Russian University of Transport (MIIT)
Vladimir Sivtsev — Minister of Transport of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Evgeny Terentiev — Director of the Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Considering the current international agenda, the significance of major infrastructure projects is magnified. Strengthening trade and economic relations with Eastern countries leads to an upsurge in trade turnover, while the modernization of logistics routes creates new opportunities for Russian exporting companies. How can we accurately assess the prospective cargo flow until 2030? Which types of cargo can compete with coal in this context? The implementation of such projects not only contributes to an increase in freight traffic but also stimulates the construction of new housing and social infrastructure facilities and boosts the labour market. Can the role of regions in infrastructure development and border cooperation be enhanced? What other non-infrastructure barriers affect transport efficiency? Modernization of railway lines has the greatest impact when closely coordinated with other types of infrastructure, such as port, energy, terminal, and warehouse infrastructure. How harmonious is the development in the eastern direction, and how can we avoid falling behind? How can we maintain our construction competencies? What is the significance of infrastructure in fostering economic and logistical cooperation with Asian countries? Are there competitors in the Eastern Polygon from a geopolitical perspective, and what are the alternative scenarios? Will transportation integration result in structural changes in East Asian economies?

Moderator:
Elina Tikhonova — Anchor, RBC

Panellists:
Ruslan Davydov — Acting Head, Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation
Kirill Dmitriev — Chief Executive Officer, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)
Aleksey Krapivin — Chief Executive Officer, 1520 Group of Companies
Andrey Makarov — Deputy General Director, Russian Railways
Irina Olkhovskaya — General Director, Universal Logistics
Marat Khusnullin — Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Sergey Tsivilev — Governor of Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass
Sergey Shishkarev — Chairman of the Board of Directors, Delo Group of Companies; Chairman of the Supreme Council, Handball Federation of Russia
Alexander Shokhin — President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs