Vladivostok, September 9 — The Eastern Economic Forum opened on 1 September in the Far Eastern city and ran through 4 September, assembling business leaders, government officials and experts to discuss the strategic development of Russia’s Far East. According to the statement released by the organizers, the forum emphasized partnerships with Asia‑Pacific counterparts in food production, infrastructure, logistics, industry and energy.
On 2 September a session titled “Towards a Common Future: Inclusion as a Development Resource for the Far East” addressed the creation of equal‑opportunity environments and the development of human capital. The following day, “Inspiring Investments: A Development Strategy for Growth and Scaling” covered funding for creative projects, foreign market entry and collaboration between businesses, investors and government agencies, with a particular emphasis on the creative economy and international cooperation with Asia‑Pacific countries.
As part of the forum, Russia and the United States continued a business dialogue headed by Robert Agee, President and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, and organized by the Roscongress Foundation. Anton Kobyakov, adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, noted a strong appetite on both sides for direct professional engagement. Agee agreed to keep developing business ties and to prepare for American representatives’ participation in the Russian Federation.
SMEs were a central theme. The forum explored small‑ and medium‑enterprise development amid structural economic changes, including sessions on automation, artificial intelligence and productivity improvement.
Asia trends and economic context
The analytical review “Asia Trends 2026: The AI Boom, Industrial Relocation, and Geopolitical Fragmentation,” prepared ahead of the opening, highlighted that Asia accounts for around 60 % of global GDP growth and is becoming the world’s new centre of trade, industry, technology, finance and military power. According to the International Monetary Fund, Asian GDP grew by 5 % in 2025, ahead of global growth of 3.5 %.
Japan and South Korea posted lower growth rates of 1.2 % and 1 % respectively, while emerging economies in the region grew by 5.5 % overall. The review also identified challenges such as high labour costs, insufficient industrial capacity, balance‑of‑payments difficulties, currency instability, the effects of an energy crisis and climate risks, including a super El Niño.
