The 10th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held in Vladivostok, Russia, from September 3-6, 2025, gathered around 8,000 participants, including over 2,600 business representatives from more than 1,140 companies.
Key delegations from Vietnam, India, China, Laos, and Malaysia validate the Forum’s importance as a significant platform for international business relations, enhancing its appeal to Asia-Pacific nations and beyond.
During the forum, 358 agreements worth over 6 trillion rubles were signed. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the need for cooperative economic relations in the Asia-Pacific region, stating the importance of a transparent financial ecosystem. The forum also served as a catalyst for a multipolar world, focusing on sustainable development and technological sovereignty, while enabling new partnerships with countries in the Global South.
Far East Cooperation for Peace and Prosperity
In his address to the participants and organizers of the Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin noticed: “In the context of an ever-increasing shift of the center of global economic activity to the Asia-Pacific region, new opportunities are opening up for building mutually beneficial relations between the states of this region of the world not only on a bilateral basis, but also within the framework of such organizations as the SCO and BRICS. Russia is ready for a constructive dialogue with all interested partners and intends to actively participate in collective efforts to build a fair system of international relations based on genuine equality and respect for each other’s legitimate interests.”
Within the framework of the Forum, special attention was paid to the development of trade, industry, production, the main goal of which is to turn the region into a powerful center of influence. The theme of the anniversary EEF 2025 is “Far East – cooperation for peace and prosperity.”
The Forum program was built on seven main thematic blocks: “The Far East – a territory for life and development”, “Growth recipes: investments, innovations, integration”, “Openness and mutually beneficial partnership – the basis of stability”, “Technologies: from theory to economic effects”, “Cities – for people’s lives”, “Growth arteries: how logistics changes the economy” and “In partnership between business and government: a major reassembly”. The business program included more than 165 business events, in which more than 1,000 speakers took part.
Priority Program for the Development of Siberia and the Russian Far East
The development of Siberia and the Russian Far East have been identified by the President as a priority for the entire 21st century; this was stated in the Address to the Federal Assembly at the end of 2013. A great work is being done in this direction, including the legal framework, the organization of advanced development territories, the Free Port of Vladivostok, etc. The program supports ambitious goals to accelerate economic and technological growth, improve the well-being of citizens, and develop vast territories of Russia. In order to develop and implement technologies, create modern production facilities, by 2030, at least 100 industrial, business and technology parks with the corresponding territories and communications should be created in Russia.
The President of the Russian Federation also designated the creation of a transparent, modern and efficient financial ecosystem as a priority, taking into account that the Russian Far East and the Asia-Pacific region are regions of dynamic changes and rapid growth.
The key event of this Event was the plenary session on September 5. In which the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Laos Sonesai Siphandon, the Prime Minister of Mongolia Gombojavin Zandanshatar, a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Hongzhong took part.
The Eastern Economic Forum as a Tool for Building a Multipolar World
The Eastern Economic Forum plays a significant role not only in attracting investment and developing the economy, mutually beneficial long-term relations with the countries of the Global South, but also becomes a tool for building a multipolar world based on equality and respect, focusing on the practical implementation of this idea through specific projects and integration associations, including the SCO and BRICS. These are logistics corridors, investments in innovation, energy, and entrepreneurship development. A special place is occupied by the topic of technological sovereignty, which includes new technologies, rare earth metals and artificial intelligence, which are transforming the global economy today.
It is significant that many international experts perceived the EEF 2025 as a logical continuation of the recent SCO summit in Tianjin, which attracted close attention from Western countries. For example, it is believed that after the signing of the memorandum on “the Power of Siberia 2” pipeline project, it is quite possible to conclude a trade agreement within the EEF. Such forecasts are becoming more and more common, since the contours of partnership in a new coordinate system that suits all participants are becoming increasingly clear.
Russia and the countries of the global South offer new opportunities for economic and political development. The SCO summit has instilled optimistic hopes in many countries. Participants of the Forum EEF 2025 can not only observe the new reality of a multipolar world, but also participate in its formation.
Author: Tatiana Pokrovskaia – International business development professional with more than 20 years of experience in the markets of Africa, CIS, Asia and the Middle East, repeatedly bringing Russian companies into international markets. She is based in St. Petersburg, Russia.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights).
Image Source: en.kremlin.ru/