MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. The seventh Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), one of Russia's largest international conferences, is to kick off in Vladivostok on September 5 to 8, 2022. The forum has been held since 2015 on Russky Island (Vladivostok, the Primorsky Region) at the Far Eastern Federal University.
It is held annually by the Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree of May 19, 2015.
The forum's goals and objectives are to promote accelerated economic development of the Russian Far East and expert evaluation of its potential; to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region; to promote and demonstrate the investment attractiveness of advanced development territories and the Free Port of Vladivostok.
Organization and partners
An organizing committee headed by Yury Trutnev, Russia's deputy prime minister and presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, supervises preparations for the EEF. The non-profit organization Eastern Economic Forum Foundation operated the forum in 2015; since 2016, the Roscongress Foundation has been in charge of it.
The title partners of the 2022 forum are Russian companies VEB.RF and Bamtonnelstroy-Most. The general sponsor is VTB, as well as Gazprom and RusHydro, the strategic partner is Rosseti, and the official air carrier is Aeroflot. TASS is the EEF's general media partner and official photo hosting provider.
EEF-2015
The first Eastern Economic Forum, held on September 3 to 5, 2015, included 27 key sessions and seven additional sessions, as well as nine presentations. The theme of the plenary session was ‘The Far East on the Global Map of Investment Opportunities'. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at it on September 4 (the head of state was also present at all subsequent forums). All in all, more than 2,500 people, including representatives of official delegations and major foreign companies from 32 countries, visited the EEF. Contracts worth 1.3 trillion rubles were concluded during the Forum. The cultural program included a concert by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under the direction of conductor Valery Gergiev, a folklore festival that has later become traditional for the Forum, and the ‘Street of the Far East' exhibition dedicated to the cultural and historical features of these regions. The EEF ended with a nighttime water show ‘A Space Odyssey'.
EEF-2016
The second Eastern Economic Forum was held on September 2 to 3, 2016 under the motto ‘Discovering the Far East'. A total of 4,600 people from 56 countries attended the event. Some 214 agreements for a total amount of 1.85 trillion rubles were signed. As part of the cultural program, ‘The Queen of Spades' opera and ‘Le Corsaire' ballet were presented on the Mariinsky Theatre's Primorsky Stage, a film marathon was held, along with the Hermitage Days in Vladivostok event and a sports regatta. The forum closed with a gala concert by soloists of the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet.
EEF-2017
The third Eastern Economic Forum was held on September 6 to 7, 2017 under the motto ‘The Far East: Creating a New Reality'. More than 6,000 people from more than 60 countries attended the EEF. Some 217 agreements worth a total of 2.5 trillion rubles were signed. The International Jigoro Kano Judo Tournament was held as part of the sports and cultural program, along with a charity run in defense of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard, a regatta, a tennis tournament and other competitions. A concert by the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra under the direction of artistic director Yury Bashmet, a gala concert by the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) artists took place as well.
EEF-2018
On September 11 to 13, 2018, the forth Eastern Economic Forum was held in Vladivostok, its theme was ‘The Far East: Expanding the Range of Possibilities'. It was attended by 6,000 people. Some 220 agreements worth a total of 3.1 trillion rubles were signed. Yury Trutnev, presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, mentioned among the most important agreements concluded on the creation of a mining and industrial enterprise on the basis of the Baim ore zone in Chukotka, the investment of the international Asian investment fund Generations Fund (GenFund) in the Far Eastern projects of Russian agricultural holding Rusagro and the Nakhodka Fertilizer Plant, the delivery of a hundred Superjet 100 to Aeroflot and the construction of Novatek's liquefied natural gas terminal in Kamchatka's Bechevinskaya Bay. The cultural program included an exhibition of works by artist Karl Bryullov and his students, an exhibition of Russian maps from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin museums, and an intellectual game in the ‘What? Where? When?' format was held for the first time.
EEF-2019
The motto of the fifth Eastern Economic Forum, held on September 4 to 6, 2019, was ‘The Far East - Development Horizons'. A record number of guests - 8,500 people from 65 countries - participated in the forum. A total of 270 agreements worth 3.4 trillion rubles were signed. In particular, the Nakhodka Fertilizer Plant and the Far East Development Corporation signed an agreement to build a methanol and ammonia complex in the Primorsky Region, and the Russian Copper Company and the Far East Development Fund agreed to build a mining and processing plant at the Malmyzh deposit (the Khabarovsk Region). The main sporting event of the EEF was the International Jigoro Kano Judo Tournament, as well as the traditional ‘Street of the Far East', an exhibition of the painting Madonna della Loggia by Sandro Botticelli from the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence at the Forum venue and then at the Primorsky State Gallery.
Cancelled EEF 2020
In 2020, the Eastern Economic Forum was scheduled for September 2 to 5. However, on June 19, 2020, the organizing committee of the event decided to cancel it because of the coronavirus.
EEF-2021
The sixth Eastern Economic Forum was held on September 2 to 4, 2021, under the motto ‘New Opportunities for the Far East in a Changing World'. The forum was held with restrictions due to the coronavirus infection. A total of 4,000 people from 58 countries attended. Seven business dialogues took place between Russia and ASEAN, Italy, China, Europe, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea. President Vladimir Putin participated in the plenary session, his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Mongolian leader Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh took part in the event via videoconference. Some 380 agreements for a record-breaking amount of 3.6 trillion rubles were signed at the forum. These include an agreement between the Russian Economic Development Ministry, VTB, VEB and the EUH group of companies on the construction of methanol-powered ships at Russian shipyards, an investment agreement between the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation and Primorsky Metallurgical Plant to build a new metallurgical plant in the Primorsky Region, and others. As part of the cultural program, the ‘Street of the Far East' was held again, a Far Eastern relict plants park was planted on the waterfront of the Ajax Bay, the concert ‘Stars of Russian Radio' was held. The International Jigoro Kano Judo Tournament under the auspices of Russian President Vladimir Putin and gala-matches in hockey, soccer and basketball were held as well.
High-ranking foreign officials attending EEF
High-ranking representatives of foreign countries have been visiting the Eastern Economic Forum since 2016. A total of seven first officials from six foreign countries have attended the forum during that time.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not miss a single EEF in 2016-2019. Representatives of the Republic of Korea attended the event twice: in 2016 President Park Geun-hye paid a visit, and in 2017 President Moon Jae-in took part in the forum.
Mongolia's President Khaltmaagiin Battulga attended the forum in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the forum in 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended in 2019, and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad attended the forum in 2019.