Eastern Economic Forum starts in Vladivostok, Russia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The 2019 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) kicked off on Wednesday in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.

The international event, aiming to woo foreign investments to the Russian Far East, is held every year in the region's biggest city.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, over 4,000 representatives of official and business circles from more than 30 countries are taking part in the forum, with the biggest delegations coming from such nations as Japan, China, India, the U.K., the U.S., Switzerland, and Italy.

The forum program includes partner events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) International Conference, business dialogues between Russia and India, China, South Korea, Japan, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Europe, and the meeting of the high-level Russia-Singapore intergovernmental commission.

"The agenda of the forum is a discussion of a wide range of existing and new measures to support economic growth, improve the quality of life in the Russian Far East, as well as specific promising projects. Particular emphasis is intended to be placed on opportunities for boosting practical cooperation with foreign partners," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow.

Some 70 events are scheduled on the forum's sidelines, including a plenary session on Thursday with the participation of President Vladimir Putin and his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaagiin Battulga, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India, Mahathir Bin Mohamad of Malaysia, and Shinzo Abe of Japan.

The event will close on Friday with an international judo tournament co-chaired by Putin and Abe, who both practice the sport.