Vera Shcherbina, who heads the government in Primorye, outlined the expected participation at this year’s Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) with a focus on the presence of senior foreign guests. She indicated that Laotian and Chinese officials will be among the most prominent visitors. Specifically, Vice President Pani Yathotu of Laos and Zhang Guoqing, Deputy Prime Minister of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, are slated to attend the event in Vladivostok. This schedule was reported by Kommersant and reflects the strong regional engagement projected for the forum.
In addition to the Lao and Chinese delegations, Shcherbina noted that attendees are anticipated from a broader group of countries. Delegations from Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Singapore are expected to participate. North Korea is also listed among the attending nations. The Myanmar delegation is expected to be led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, General Mya Tun U. In several cases, the delegations from India, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Singapore, and the Philippines will be headed by the respective ambassadors in Moscow or the region. The exact leadership level for Vietnam and North Korea, however, was not specified in the preliminary announcements, leaving a degree of curiosity about who will preside over their respective missions to Russia. This layered lineup underscores the EEF’s role as a hub for regional diplomacy and economic coordination, drawing senior officials from multiple continents to discuss trade, investment, and infrastructural cooperation in the Far East.
On the broader stage, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, confirmed that President Vladimir Putin is expected to participate in the plenary session of the EEF, which is scheduled to take place on September 12. Peskov added that the discussion at the plenary is likely to be lively and insightful, hinting at conversations that may shape policy and business agendas across the region. The confirmation of Putin’s attendance aligns with the forum’s intent to showcase Russia’s development plans and its regional partnerships, while also signaling to international participants that Moscow intends to maintain a high level of engagement during the event. The Kremlin’s comments emphasize the importance placed on the EEF as a platform for dialogue between Russia and its strategic partners, particularly in the context of evolving economic patterns in Northeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific arena.
The Eastern Economic Forum is scheduled to unfold in Vladivostok from September 10 to 13, with activities centered at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island. The venue’s liminal position in the Russian Far East makes it a natural stage for discussions on regional connectivity, trade routes, and cross-border investment projects that connect Siberia, the Russian Far East, and the Pacific. In a related note tied to participant safety, authorities have announced a prohibition on hunting within Primorye during the event, a precaution intended to ensure secure and orderly proceedings as both international and domestic visitors converge for the sessions, exhibitions, and networking opportunities that define the forum’s atmosphere. The combination of a high-profile guest list, strategic geographic setting, and stringent safety measures highlights the EEF’s role in shaping economic ties and investment climates across the Russia–Asia corridor.
For additional context, observers note that the Kremlin’s coordination of Putin’s participation and the overall orchestration of the WEF schedule reflect a broader strategy of aligning Russia’s regional diplomacy with its economic outreach efforts. The interplay between state representation and business delegates at this year’s forum is likely to yield discussions about infrastructure funding, energy projects, and the diversification of supply chains in a region that continues to attract attention from both established markets and emerging economies. While the specific lines of discussion will unfold over the course of the four days, the announced delegation heads and the confirmed presence of the president signal a robust agenda aimed at reinforcing partnerships and exploring new avenues for collaboration across Eurasia. (attribution: Kommersant, Kremlin press office)”