MONTHLY INFORMATION DIGEST

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF
THE FAR EAST
June 2020

KEY TOPICS
6th Eastern Economic
Forum will be held in
September 2021

•Ministry for theDevelopment of theRussian Far Eastsuggests amendments
to the legislation
concerning investors’
activities in the Arctic
and Far Eastern shelfarea•Nadezhdinskaya
ASEZ in Primorye has
attracted more thanRUB 50 billion of
investment over thelast five years

EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM EVENTS
19 June 2020, TASS

6th Eastern Economic Forum to be held in September 2021
The Forum 2020 was cancelled by the decision of the Organizing Committee on the Preparation andHolding of Eastern Economic Forum. The 6th Eastern Economic Forum will take place in September 2021.
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/8773955
29 June 2020, TASSFar Eastern regions to divert funds allocated for EEF to fight the pandemic
As the result of the postponement of the Eastern Economic Forum, regions of the Far Eastern FederalDistrict will divert the available funds to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
https://tass.ru/obschestvo/8837767
25 June 2020, Russian Business Guide

Yakut writers discussed their creative process during the quarantine‘Literary process in the Far East: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)’ online roundtable was held on media
holding’s and EEF’s platforms. Its participants discussed the impact of the quarantine on the culture,
specific features of the literary process during the self-isolation period, as well as trends of developmentof regional and national literature.
http://www.rbgmedia.ru/post.php?id=10475
19 June 2020, Russian Business Guide

Event and gastronomic tourism in the Far East were discussed in Primorye
On the final day of the 6th Pacific Tourist Forum, the ‘Vector to Development’ workshop took place,including the following topics: ‘Event tourism. How to create and attract a tourist? How to deal with tourism
seasonality?’ and ‘Gastronomic tourism’, featuring tourism and event experts. “Major international
conventions, exhibitions, as well as educational, cultural and entertainment events are an important factor
for the growth of region’s tourism appeal. Moscow, St. Petersburg and other big cities realized that a whileago; and this practice is quickly and successfully developing in Primorye. Its unique location, naturalbeauty, convenient transportation system, growing infrastructure, and a diverse cultural landscapecontribute to the development of Primorye’s exceptional potential, turning it into a new growth area inRussia and in the world,” noted Head of Vladivostok Branch of the Roscongress Foundation Maxim
Yakovenko during the session.
http://www.rbgmedia.ru/post.php?id=10464
11 June 2020, RIA PrimaMediaEEF online session on gastronomic tourism brought together over 1,500 viewers
The video conference between Moscow and Vladivostok held as part of an EEF field session on
gastronomic tourism was viewed by over 1,500 people. The session was opened by Governor of Primorye
Oleg Kozhemyako. He said that the region’s government understands the potential of the Far Easterncuisine brand and focuses its promotion. According to Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism
Zarina Doguzova, “Together with the Ministry of Transport we plan to launch affordable intercity flights.
Also, for the first time we will have a subsidy for tourist agencies that will allow to provide affordable
package offers.”
https://primamedia.ru/news/957039/?from=37

STATE POLICY IN THE FAR EAST
10 June 2020, Interfax

NArFU to contribute to Arctic development, says Trutnev
The draft programme for the development of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V.
Lomonosov (NArFU) in Arkhangelsk for 2021–2035 has been approved on the federal level. As part of theprogramme, the university is to contribute to the development of the Russian Arctic.
According to Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East Alexander Kozlov, the newstrategic plan for the Arctic that has been brought before the Government puts an increased focus on
NArFU as the only federal university in the Arctic. It is to become a highly competitive world-class scientificand educational centre.
https://www.interfax-russia.ru/northwest/news/safu-dolzhen-vklyuchitsya-v-rabotu-po-razvitiyu-arktikitrutnev
9 June 2020, TASS

Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East plans to recreate the system forpermafrost monitoring
The state of permafrost has an impact on the construction of the new facilities and condition of thepreviously built ones. The ministry’s experts together with researchers plan to recreate the monitoring
system that will allow to keep an eye on the state of permafrost in the Russian Arctic and forecast the risks
caused by its degradation. The project of the system recreation is due the end of this year, said Alexander
Kozlov to the media.
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/8680549
9 June 2020, Portnews

Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East suggests amendments to thelegislation concerning investors’ activities in the Arctic and Far Eastern shelf area
A draft federal law ‘On amending certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation regarding thespecifics of the regulation of subsoil use related to the resource development on the continental shelf of
the Russian Federation in the Arctic and Pacific oceans’ has been prepared. It establishes a new model
for investors’ activities in the Arctic and Far Eastern shelf of Russia. According to the authors of thedocument, there is a pressing issue of replenishment of declining field production in Western Siberia.
Among the its potential sources are the Arctic and Far Eastern shelves. To involve this vast resource basein economic turnover, it is necessary to stimulate and activate investment and business activities.
https://portnews.ru/news/297094/

ECONOMY OF THE FAR EAST
25 June 2020, TASS

Nadezhdinskaya ASEZ in Primorye has attracted more than RUB 50 billion of investment
over the last five years
The Nadezhdinskaya advanced special economic zone (ASEZ) that was created in Primorye fiveyears ago and was one of the first Far Eastern ASEZs, exceeded the target for attracting private
investment more than by 50%. Since 2015, the total amount of investment topped RUB 50 billion. As ofnow, 62 Nadezhdinskaya residents are implementing their projects; they plan to create at least 5,000
jobs.
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/8809503
25 June 2020, TASS

Nizhny Bestyakh cargo terminal to become a new river gate of the Arctic
It is designed to facilitate transportation of essential cargos to the Arctic. This has become a problem
over the last decades due to the shallowing of the River Lena – one of Yakutia’s main transport corridors.
The investment portfolio of the Nizhny Bestyakh Cargo Terminal company reaches RUB 3.19 billion, with
190 jobs to be created. The total capacity of the terminal will be 2 million tonnes of cargo per year. Theproject is to be completed in 2023.
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/8821393
15 June 2020, TASSFar East Development Fund to help Far Eastern entrepreneurs to move business online
Far Eastern entrepreneurs will have a free access to an online store where they can sell their goods.
They will also get coupons for online promotion. Besides that, Far Eastern businesses will be able to enjoy
educational materials and use a hotline.
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/8723919
7 June 2020, Novosti Vladivostoka (Vladivostok News)The cost of the bridge to Yelena Island in Vladivostok has been announced
The estimated and maximum cost of the bridge across the Eastern Bosphorus strait in Vladivostok
will be around RUB 60 billion. The decree on allocation of funds for the technological and price audit ofthe project has been signed. The construction length of the bridge crossing will be 10 kilometres, with
2,026 linear metres of the bridge itself. The construction of the Vladivostok Ring Road is to be supportedby the public-private partnership. The bridge concept was presented at the 5th Eastern Economic Forumby the St. Petersburg design institute that worked on the Russky and Zolotoy bridges.
https://www.newsvl.ru/vlad/2020/06/07/190667/
4 June 2020, Interfax

Residents of the Free Port of Vladivostok and ASEZs provided RUB 257 billion of private
investment to the Primorye economy
Primorye Territory has become one of the first Far Eastern regions to support investment projects withpreferential regimes of ASEZ and the Free Port of Vladivostok. There are 1,786 investment projects withover RUB 2 trillion of committed investments that will create 113,000 new jobs.
https://www.interfax-russia.ru/far-east/news/rezidenty-svobodnogo-porta-i-tor-vlozhili-v-ekonomikuprimorya-257-mlrd-rub-chastnyh-investiciy-trutnev

NEW MECHANISMS FOR THE FAR EAST
DEVELOPMENT: SUCCESS STORIES
22 June 2020, TASS

A new programme for business support amid the pandemic has been launched inKhabarovsk Territory
The government of Khabarovsk Territory has launched a new business support programme:
entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to receive up to RUB 3 million on preferential terms. Small andmedium-sized businesses now have access to micro loans as part of the AntiCOVID programme. Thecredit financing of companies from the list of the most affected industries is organized by the region’s
foundation for small business support.
https://tass.ru/ekonomika/8785041
17 June 2020, TASS

New terminal of the Baikal airport to open in 2022
The airport’s passenger traffic will be tripled – up to 1.5 million people per year. The area of theterminal will be expanded from 5,000 to 6,500 sq.m, and the airport building will be equipped with two jetbridges. After the launch of the new terminal, the existing airport building will receive international flights.
https://tass.ru/v-strane/8748957
16 June 2020, IzvestiyaFEFU schoolers created a neural network that can regulate traffic
Schoolers from the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) team developed a PointsMan service for traffic
light optimization and regulation. It can help make vehicle and pedestrian traffic safer and more
comfortable, and less time-consuming. With this project the schoolers made it to the top three at the Skill
Up national online hackathon for IoT and computer vision. The app took just three days to develop basedon machine learning, IoT, computer vision and neural networks.
https://iz.ru/1024034/2020-06-16/shkolniki-dvfu-sozdali-reguliruiushchuiu-transportnye-potoki-neiroset
16 June 2020, EastRussia

Windpark based on a unique Russian technology to be constructed in the Far East
Innovation Systems group of companies is to build a windpark in the Far Eastern Federal District using thedouble-rotor wind turbine technology. The project is be supported by the Far East Investment and Expert
Agency. The windfarm’s efficiency is 2.5 times higher than that of its foreign counterparts of the same
capacity, which significantly reduces the prime cost of the produced energy. The windfarms are designed
to work with relatively low wind speed – 8–9 metres per second.
https://www.eastrussia.ru/news/vetropark-po-rossiyskoy-tekhnologii-sozdast-investor-na-dalnemvostoke/
4 June 2020, Komsomolskaya pravda

Baikal is on top 5 list of Russian tourist destinations for the summer of 2020
Travel.Yandex analysts learned about Russians’ plans for summer holidays. In the survey of 5,000 people,
65% of Russians expressed a desire to spend their summer holiday in Russia, with 76% planning to go on
holiday this summer.
Baikal is one of the most coveted Russian destinations for the summer 2020. On the top 5 list, the lake ison the fourth place, ahead of Altai. The winner is Sochi and resorts of Krasnodar Region, the second placeis taken by Crimea, and the third one – by St. Petersburg.
https://www.irk.kp.ru/online/news/3897928/
The Roscongress Foundation – a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of international conventions; exhibitions; andsporting, public, and cultural events.
The Foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of facilitating the development of Russia’s economic potential, promoting its national interests, andstrengthening the country’s image. One of the roles of the Foundation is to comprehensively evaluate, analyse, and cover issues on the Russian and global economicagendas. It also offers administrative services, provides promotional support for business projects and attracting investment, and helps foster social entrepreneurshipand charitable initiatives.
Each year, the Foundation’s events draw participants from 208 countries and territories, with more than 15,000 media representatives working on-site at
Roscongress’ various venues. The Foundation benefits from analytical and professional expertise provided by 2,500 people working in Russia and abroad. In addition, it
works in close cooperation with 122 economic partners; industrialists’ and entrepreneurs’ unions; and financial, trade, and business associations from 69 countries
worldwide.
roscongress.org
ORGANIZER OF THE EASTERN ECONOMIC FORUM