VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov – The second day of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in the Russian city of Vladivostok will start on Friday, featuring an address by the country's president, Vladimir Putin, as well as sessions and discussions with participation of major Japanese and Chinese companies' representatives.
The forum brings together business and government representatives along with industry experts from Russia and Asia-Pacific countries to discuss the economic potential of Russia's Far East and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as cooperation and investment opportunities.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the president will speak about the state of the Russian economy, give specifics about Russia's Far East and its attractiveness for investors.
Several deals are expected to be signed during the day between state agencies and businesses.
The Eastern Economic Forum official opening ceremony will also take place on Friday.
More than 10 key sessions will be held on various topics, ranging from biodiversity conservation to state support in financing investment projects.
The first key session on the transit potential of the region will be moderated by the managing partner of the US-based McKinsey & Company multinational management consulting firm.
Following the opening ceremony, a key session on bridging Russia and the Asia-Pacific countries in the oil-and-gas industry will be moderated by the executive commentator of the NHK Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, Ichiyo Ishikawa.
Chairman of China’s Jiangsu Baoli International Investment, Dehong Zhou, is one of the speakers at a session on the Freeport of Vladivostok and other advanced special economic zones in East Russia.
The session on export support and access to international markets will feature three speakers from Japan. These are: Yoshihiro Sekihachi, the chairman of Hokkaido Bank board of directors; Tadashi Maeda, the senior managing director at the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); and Masami Iijima, the chairman of Mitsui board of directors.
Iijima is expected to also speak at the session on the opportunities and challenges to innovative development in the Russian Far East.
One of Friday’s closing sessions, on the subject of Eurasian integration in the region, features two Chinese speakers: chief executive of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Zhang Hongli, and president of the China Silk Road Fund, Wang Yanzhi.