Eastern Economic Forum Ends With $7.7 Billion in Deals

Vladivostok (GNP): The 11th Eastern Economic Forum concluded on Friday after four days of talks, closing with 285 cooperation agreements worth 6.66 trillion rubles, or roughly $7.7 billion, signed over the course of the event. The forum drew more than 7,000 participants from 70 countries and regions, built around five major themed sections and over 150 business activities that shaped the event’s agenda.

That scale of participation translated into intensive dialogue throughout the four days, with more than 1,000 guests delivering speeches and delegates conducting 1,200 business negotiations focused on Far East development projects. Sideline discussions brought together entrepreneurs from China, India, Mongolia and ASEAN countries, alongside dedicated sessions on the creative industry and small and medium-sized enterprises, broadening the forum’s reach beyond its core economic agenda.

Running parallel to these discussions, an exhibition hall at the venue showcased technology aimed at addressing some of the Far East’s most persistent development challenges, including difficult logistics, harsh climate conditions, energy supply gaps, slow digital transformation and substantial infrastructure needs. A Far East Street exhibition, along with cultural and sporting events, ran alongside the main programme, rounding out the forum’s broader civic dimension.

Deputy Prime Minister and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Far East envoy, Yuri Trutnev, said the agreements signed at the forum included major infrastructure projects such as an international transport corridor through the Republic of Sakha and the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor. He added that nine new enterprises began operations in the Far East during the forum itself, spanning mining, logistics, high-tech and energy sectors.

The forum’s conclusion followed a plenary address a day earlier by Putin, who used the platform to outline a long-term development strategy for the region, describing it as a strategic gateway for cooperation with Asia-Pacific nations. He said the Far East has attracted 25 trillion rubles, or $287.9 billion, in investment over the past 11 years, with the region’s gross regional product more than tripling over that period.

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Putin placed particular emphasis on Arctic shipping as part of that strategy, highlighting the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor’s projected capacity to handle 70 million tons of cargo annually by 2030, linking St. Petersburg and Murmansk with Vladivostok and onward to Asian markets.

To keep the route operational year-round, he said Russia is building icebreakers and ice-class vessels, developing service and rescue fleets, expanding its satellite network and upgrading port facilities, alongside efforts on environmental protection and tourism development in the region.

Launched in 2015, the Eastern Economic Forum has grown into a leading platform for developing Russia’s Far East economy and expanding international cooperation across the Asia-Pacific, with this year’s edition running from September 1 to 4 in Vladivostok.

Yuri Trutnev said, “Nine new enterprises began operations in the Far East during the forum.”

Vladimir Putin said, “The strategic line is for the Far East to become a territory of cooperation and dynamic change.”