MONTHLY INFORMATION DIGEST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IN THE FAR EAST

June 2018

KEY TOPICS• Business Programmearchitecture of EEF 2018published• Vladimir Putin spoke
about development ofhigh-tech industries inthe Far East

• Free Port of Vladivostok
regulation partiallyextended to Khabarovsk
Territory

THE EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM NEWS27 June 2018, forumvostok.ru

Business Programme architecture of the Eastern Economic Forum 2018 was published
The EEF 2018 key topic is The Far East: Expanding the Range of Opportunities. Discussions
during the Business Programme will be held in four main areas: ‘Tools to Support Investors:
Next Steps’, ‘Industry Priorities in the Far East’, ‘The Global Far East: International Projects
for Cooperation’ and ‘Improving Living Conditions’. As always, the programme of the Forum
includes the format for business dialogues between countries, where representatives of
Russian and foreign business circles from the Asia-Pacific Region countries and Europe
will discuss practical cooperation issues.
https://forumvostok.ru/news/-opublikovana-arhitektura-delovoj-programmy-vostochnogo- ekonomicheskogo-foruma-2018-goda/ https://forumvostok.ru/news/-opublikovana-arhitektura-delovoj-programmy-vostochnogo- ekonomicheskogo-foruma-2018-goda/
22 June 2018, RBK

Vladimir Putin invited the President of the Republic of Korea to EEF 2018
On 22 June 2018 Vladimir Putin held talks with the President of the Republic of Korea,
Mr. Moon Jae-in, who was in Russia on a state visit. During the talks, the heads of thetwo states highly appreciated the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok as a platform
for efficient international cooperation in order to develop the economy of the Far East
regions, and the important instrument for deepening the bilateral cooperation. Vladimir
Putin also invited Moon Jae-in to take part in EEF 2018.
https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5b2d14d39a79471041bcf103

1

MONTHLY INFORMATION DIGEST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE FAR EAST

20 June 2018, TASSThe State Council Presidium session on the development of the Far East will be held
during EEF 2018
On 20 June 2018, under the chairmanship of the Presidential Aide and State Council
Secretary Igor Levitin, the first meeting of the work group for preparation of the Presidiumof the State Council session on the issue of ‘Measures to Implement the Strategic Tasks
Determined by the Presidential Decree of 7 May 2018, for the Purpose of Advanced SocioEconomic Development of the Far East’. The Presidium of the State Council session is tobe held during EEF 2018.
http://tass.ru/politika/5308502
9 June 2018, Izvestia

Vladimir Putin invited the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to EEF
2018 as the main guest
The Russian President announced this after the Russian–Chinese talks that took place on 8June this year in Beijing during Vladimir Putin’s state visit to China.
An invitation to participate in the IV Eastern Economic Forum was also sent this month to theChairman of the State Council of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un.
https://iz.ru/753824/2018-06-09/putin-priglasil-si-tczinpina-na-vef-2018-v-kachestve-glavnogo-gostia

GOVERNMENT POLICY IN THE FAR EAST
25 June 2018, Kommersant

The bill to zero the VAT on domestic flights in the Far East was submitted by theGovernment of the Russian Federation to the State Duma
The goal of this bill is the development of transport infrastructure in the Far Eastern FederalDistrict. Currently, the VAT rate for domestic air transport in the Russian Federation stands at 10%.
https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3668451
25 June 2018, Interfax

Key issues of economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republicof Korea were discussed at the Russia–Korea Business Forum
On 22 June, during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Russia, the Russia–
Korea business forum was held in Moscow. Following the results of the Forum, the CEO ofthe Roscongress Foundation Alexander Stuglev and the Chairman of the Korean International
Trade Association (KITA) Kim Young Ju signed an agreement on cooperation between theorganizations. A similar agreement on cooperation was signed between the Korean Instituteof Advanced Technologies and the Russian Venture Company.
http://www.interfax.ru/events/news/618328

2

MONTHLY INFORMATION DIGEST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE FAR EAST
7 June 2018, TASS

Vladimir Putin spoke about the development of high-tech industries in the Far East
during the Direct LineOn 7 June 2018, during the Direct Line with the President, Vladimir Putin noted that the state
will continue to support the high-tech industries that were created in the region: the spaceindustry, shipbuilding and aircraft construction, including civil aviation. The head of the statealso talked about the development of science and education in the Far East, mentioning thecreation of the new Far Eastern Federal University on the basis of previously existing schools.
http://tass.ru/ekonomika/5270908

ECONOMY OF THE FAR EAST
6 June 2018, vostokmedia.com

Russia–China agreement to create border crossing on Bolshoy Ussuriysky island may
be signed this year
To start the work on the project, it is necessary to sign an intergovernmental agreement, whichshould be prepared for the 4th Eastern Economic Forum, noted Alexander Kozlov, the Head of
the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East.
The proposal to assign the cargo-passenger status to the border crossing was put forward
earlier this year. It is expected that this will promote the territory among investors and willallow to increase the export cargo traffic up to 1.2 million tons by 2025.
https://vostokmedia.com/news/society/06-06-2018/na-vef-sudbu-pogranperehoda-na-bolshom-ussuriyskom- zakrepyat-na-bumage

NEW MECHANISMS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE
FAR EAST: SUCCESS STORIES
28 June 2018, InterfaxThe Free Port of Vladivostok regulation is extended to the Khabarovsk Territory.
On 27 June 2018, the Federation Council approved the law that includes the Sovetskaya
Gavan into the Free Port of Vladivostok zone. Thus, the Free Port regulation extends tothe Sovetskaya Gavan municipal district of the Khabarovsk Territory. Within the Free Port
regulation, 15 investment projects are planned for implementation on the territory ofthe Sovetskaya Gavan district, bringing over 54 billion roubles in private investment, andcreating about 1,800 new jobs.
http://www.interfax-russia.ru/FarEast/news.asp?id=945618&sec=1671

3

MONTHLY INFORMATION DIGEST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE FAR EAST

6 June 2018 года, forumvostok.ru

The 5th Far Eastern MediaSummit discussed the development of the Far East
The Far East MediaSummit was held on 6–8 June in Vladivostok, with journalists, mediaexperts, government officials and development institutions of the region taking part. At thepanel session ‘Focus on Advanced Special Economic Zones and Free Port of Vladivostok.
Results of the Regimes’, interim results of the operation of the Far Eastern Advanced Special
Economic Zones and the Free Port of Vladivostok were summed up. According to Denis
Tikhonov, General Director of the Far Eastern Development Corporation, the residents of
the Advanced Special Economic Zones and Free Port of Vladivostok have implemented 112
projects and created 12,000 jobs up to date. The Corporation also expects 189 projects tobe implemented, and 15,000 jobs to be created by the end of 2018.
https://forumvostok.ru/news/na-v-dalnevostochnom-mediasammite-obsudili-voprosy-razvitiya-dalnego- vostoka/

The Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development
institution and a major organizer of international conventions, exhibition and publicevents.
The Roscongress Foundation was founded in 2007 with the aim of facilitating thedevelopment of Russia’s economic potential and strengthening the country’s image byorganizing international conventions, exhibitions, and public events. The Foundation
develops substantive content for such events, providing companies and organizations withadvice, information, and expert guidance, and offering comprehensive evaluation, analysis,
and coverage of the Russian and global economic agendas. It offers administrative services
and promotional support for business projects and helps to attract investment, includingin the form of public-private partnerships.
Today, its annual programme includes events held from Montevideo to Vladivostok,
offering an opportunity to bring together global business leaders, experts, the media, andgovernment officials in one place, creating favourable conditions for dialogue and thepromotion of new ideas and projects, and assisting in the creation of social enterprise andcharity projects.
www.roscongress.org

ORGANIZER OF THE EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM:4