The Investment Climate in Russia's Regions

EEF 2015

The first EEF, held on September 3–5, 2015, included 27 key sessions, 7 additional sessions, and 9 presentations. The plenary session's theme was formulated as "The Far East on the Global Map of Investment Opportunities." Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke at the event on September 4 (the head of state has attended every subsequent forum as well). In all, more than 2,500 people attended the EEF, including representatives of official delegations and major foreign companies from 32 countries. Contracts worth 1.3 trillion rubles were signed during the forum. As part of the cultural program, the Mariinsky Theatre orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, gave a concert, and the forum held, for the first time, the "Street of the Far East" exhibition devoted to the region's cultural and historical features — an exhibition that later became a forum tradition. The EEF closed with the nighttime water show "Space Odyssey."

EEF 2016

The second EEF took place on September 2–3, 2016, under the slogan "Discovering the Far East." A total of 4,600 people from 56 countries attended the event. A total of 214 agreements worth 1.85 trillion rubles were signed. As part of the cultural program, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre presented the opera "The Queen of Spades" and the ballet "Le Corsaire," along with a film marathon, Hermitage Days in Vladivostok, and a sailing regatta. The forum closed with a gala concert by soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre's opera and ballet companies.

EEF 2017

The third EEF was held on September 6–7, 2017, with the plenary session themed "The Far East: Creating a New Reality." More than 6,000 people from over 60 countries attended the forum. A total of 217 agreements worth 2.5 trillion rubles were signed. The sports and cultural program included the Jigoro Kano International Judo Tournament, a charity run in support of the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard, a sailing regatta, a tennis tournament and other competitions, a concert by the "Moscow Soloists" chamber ensemble under artistic director Yuri Bashmet, and a gala concert by artists from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

EEF 2018

The fourth Eastern Economic Forum was held in Vladivostok on September 11–13, 2018, under the theme "The Far East: Expanding the Frontiers of Opportunity." It was attended by 6,000 people. A total of 220 agreements worth 3.1 trillion rubles were signed. Yuri Trutnev, the Russian president's plenipotentiary envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, named among the most significant agreements those on establishing a mining enterprise based on the Baimskaya ore zone in Chukotka; on investment by the international Asian investment fund Generations Fund (GenFund) in Far Eastern projects run by the Russian agricultural holding Rusagro and by the Nakhodka Mineral Fertilizer Plant; on the delivery of 100 Superjet 100 aircraft to Aeroflot; and on the construction, in Bechevinskaya Bay in Kamchatka, of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) transshipment terminal for the company Novatek. The cultural program included an exhibition of works by the painter Karl Bryullov and his students, an exhibition of maps of Russia from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin museums, and, for the first time, a session of the quiz game "What? Where? When?"

EEF 2019

The slogan of the fifth EEF, held on September 4–6, 2019, was "The Far East — Horizons of Development." The forum drew a record number of guests — 8,500 people from 65 countries. A total of 270 agreements worth 3.4 trillion rubles were signed. Among them, the Nakhodka Mineral Fertilizer Plant and JSC Far East Development Corporation (renamed JSC Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, or KRDV, in January 2021) signed an agreement on building a methanol and ammonia production complex in Primorsky Territory, while the Russian Copper Company and the Far East Development Fund agreed on building a mining and processing plant at the Malmyzh deposit (Khabarovsk Territory). The main sporting event of the EEF was the Jigoro Kano International Judo Tournament. In addition to the traditional "Street of the Far East," the forum venue, and later the Primorsky State Art Gallery, hosted an exhibition of the painting "Madonna della Loggia" by Sandro Botticelli, from the collection of Florence's Uffizi Gallery.

The Cancelled EEF 2020

In 2020, the Eastern Economic Forum was scheduled to be held on September 2–5. However, on June 19, 2020, the event's organizing committee decided to cancel it because of the coronavirus pandemic.

EEF 2021

The sixth EEF was held on September 2–4, 2021, under the theme "New Opportunities for the Far East in a Changing World." The forum took place under restrictions linked to the coronavirus. In all, 4,000 people from 58 countries attended. Seven business dialogues were held between Russia and ASEAN, Italy, China, Europe, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session, and, via videoconference, the Russian leader spoke with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. A total of 380 agreements worth 3.6 trillion rubles were signed. These included an agreement of intent between Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East, VTB, VEB.RF, and the ESN group of companies on building methanol-powered vessels at Russian shipyards, and an investment agreement between JSC KRDV and the Primorsky Metallurgical Plant on building a new metallurgical plant in Primorsky Territory, among others. The cultural program again included the "Street of the Far East" exhibition; a grove of relict Far Eastern plants was planted on the embankment of Ajax Bay, and a "Stars of Russian Radio" concert was held. The forum also featured the Jigoro Kano International Judo Tournament, held under the patronage of Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with gala matches in hockey, football, and basketball.

EEF 2022

The seventh EEF was held on September 5–8, 2022, under the theme "Toward a Multipolar World." The forum brought together more than 7,000 participants from 68 countries. Taking part in the plenary session were Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of Myanmar's State Administration Council Min Aung Hlaing, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, and Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress. Under the business program, 296 agreements worth 3.272 trillion rubles were signed. On the first day of the EEF, the second International Tiger Conservation Forum was held, summing up the results of a 12‑year program to restore the global tiger population. The Tiger Conservation Declaration, signed by the meeting's participants, noted that the global tiger population had grown from about 3,200 in 2010 to more than 4,700 in 2022. The sports program included the GTO Games for the Far East Cup, several sailing regattas, and chess and esports competitions.

EEF 2023

The eighth Eastern Economic Forum was held on September 10–13, 2023. In all, more than 7,000 people from 62 countries and territories attended. The theme of the 2023 EEF was "Toward Cooperation, Peace, and Prosperity." Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lao Vice President Pany Yathotou took part in the plenary session. The forum marked the tenth anniversary of Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic. On the sidelines of the EEF, 373 agreements worth 3.818 trillion rubles were signed. For the first time, the international forum "Falcon Day" was held as part of the EEF, at which representatives of Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the UAE adopted a framework declaration on preserving the gyrfalcon population. "Falcon Day" has since become an annual fixture of the EEF. Representatives of 20 countries took part in the EEF's sports games.

EEF 2024

The ninth EEF was held on September 3–6, 2024, under the slogan "The Far East 2030: Uniting Efforts, Creating Opportunities." More than 7,100 people took part in the forum, including over 1,500 media representatives from 75 countries and territories, including Russia. Taking part in the plenary session were Russian President Vladimir Putin, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. Under the business program, 313 agreements worth a combined 5.569 trillion rubles were signed, most of which consisted of non-public agreements between Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East and JSC KRDV, worth 3.825 trillion rubles.

EEF 2025

The jubilee, tenth Eastern Economic Forum was held on September 3–6, 2025. Its main theme was formulated as "The Far East: Cooperation for the Sake of Peace and Prosperity." The EEF was attended by 8,000 people from 75 countries and territories, including Russia. Speaking at the plenary session were Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and Mongolian Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar. A record 358 agreements worth 6.06 trillion rubles for the EEF were signed, the largest of which were the arrangements for building the Moksky hydroelectric complex in Buryatia (1.1 trillion rubles). In addition to the main program, the EEF included the "Day of the Future" youth forum along with its traditional exhibition, cultural, and business programs. The main event of the "Vladivostok Seasons" festival was the "Pacific Beat" concert on Vladivostok's Sportivnaya embankment, headlined by the performer Asia. Events were also held to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. International tournaments were held in rowing, curling, mas-wrestling, and surfing, along with the fourth International Vladivostok Regatta. For the first time under the EEF's aegis, an adaptive sports tournament was held — participants in the special military operation competed in sled hockey in the Heroes of Our Time Cup. The eighth All-Russian Marine Robotics Competition "Eastern Breeze 2025" and marine robot races were also held.

TASS-DOSSIER. The 11th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) will take place in Vladivostok on September 1–4, 2026. In all, agreements worth a combined 28.5 trillion rubles were signed at the EEF between 2015 and 2025, with 2025 setting a record at 6.058 trillion rubles. The TASS-DOSSIER desk has prepared material on the ten largest public agreements signed at the EEF, whose value is not a trade secret. Contract values are given as of the time they were signed.

Hydroelectric Plant in Buryatia — 1.1 Trillion Rubles

In 2025, on the sidelines of the EEF, the Republic of Buryatia, the company En+, and the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation signed a cooperation agreement on building a powerful 1,200 MW Moksky hydroelectric plant on the Vitim River in Buryatia's Muysky District, along with its counter-regulator, the 210 MW Ivanovskaya hydroelectric plant. The hydroelectric complex is planned to be built by 2035. It is expected to supply power to the Baikal-Amur Mainline and to projects developing the Far Eastern Federal District's mineral resource base.

Hydroelectric Plant in Buryatia — 1.1 Trillion Rubles

During the Eastern Economic Forum in 2023, VEB.RF, Sberbank, Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East, and the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation signed an agreement on implementing 117 investment projects worth a combined 1.097 trillion rubles. In line with new master plans, social and infrastructure facilities will be built or upgraded in every region of the Far Eastern Federal District.

Amur Gas Processing Plant — 948 Billion Rubles

In 2015, during the EEF, Gazprom and Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East signed an agreement to build the Amur Gas Processing Plant in Svobodny District, Amur Region. It is Russia's most powerful gas processing plant, with marketable gas output planned at 42 billion cubic meters a year. It will also produce 60 million cubic meters of helium annually. The Amur plant is one of the key links in the fuel-supply chain along the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. Total investment was initially estimated at 948 billion rubles. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 14, 2015. At the 2017 EEF, the project's investor and developer, Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk, was granted resident status in the Svobodny priority development area (TOR). On June 9, 2021, the plant's first production line was commissioned; at the launch ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that investment in the project had exceeded 1 trillion rubles. Helium shipments from the Amur plant began on September 5, 2023. Commissioning of the sixth and final production line is now being prepared.

VNKhK Complex in Nakhodka — 796 Billion Rubles

In 2017, at the EEF, JSC Far East Development Corporation signed an agreement with JSC Eastern Petrochemical Company (a subsidiary of the oil company Rosneft) on implementing an investment project to build a petrochemical and oil-refining complex in Nakhodka, Primorsky Territory, including production of Euro-5 standard motor oils and a refinery with a capacity of 12 million tonnes of oil a year. Total investment was estimated at 796 billion rubles in 2017, rising to 1.5 trillion rubles by 2026. In December 2017, the project received approval from Glavgosexpertiza, Russia's state construction expert review agency. A construction start date has not yet been set. In October 2025, Russia's Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev told TASS in an interview that Rosneft had postponed further work on the project "amid the current macroeconomic uncertainty."

Mining and Processing Plant in the Tuguro-Chumikansky District, Khabarovsk Territory — 650 Billion Rubles

At the 2025 EEF, Khabarovsk Territory, LLC Milkan, and the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation signed an agreement on building a mining and processing plant at the Milkan iron ore deposit in the Tuguro-Chumikansky District in the north of Khabarovsk Territory. The plant is expected to be able to process 54 million tonnes of ore a year. Total investment is planned at 650 billion rubles. The project's implementation timeline has not been published.

Aldan Industrial Cluster — 535.3 Billion Rubles

In 2025, on the sidelines of the EEF, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation signed an agreement on implementing an investment project to build the Aldan Industrial Cluster in southern Yakutia. The plan calls for a uranium mining and metallurgical plant along with metallurgical and petrochemical production facilities, all to be linked by transport to the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway. More than 16,700 jobs are expected to be created in total, with combined investment in the project estimated at 535.3 billion rubles.

Amur Gas Chemical Complex — 500 Billion Rubles

At the 2016 EEF, Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the company Sibur signed an agreement on building the Amur Gas Chemical Complex, worth 500 billion rubles. The plant is planned to produce 2.3 million tonnes of polyethylene and 400,000 tonnes of polypropylene a year.
Basic engineering design work on the plant began in spring 2018. A construction launch ceremony was held on August 18, 2020. In December 2020, Sibur and the Chinese corporation Sinopec formed a joint venture to carry out the Amur complex project. The estimated launch date is August 2026.

Nakhodka Mineral Fertilizer Plant — 445 Billion Rubles

In 2016, at the forum, the Far East Development Fund and the National Chemical Group signed a letter of intent on building a mineral fertilizer plant (NZMU) in Nakhodka, in the area of Kozmino Bay. At the 2017 EEF, the corresponding agreement was signed by Russia's Ministry for the Development of the Far East and CJSC Nakhodka Mineral Fertilizer Plant. The plant is planned to produce 3 million tonnes of urea and 1.8 million tonnes of methanol a year for the Asia-Pacific market. At the 2021 EEF, an agreement was signed between NZMU, VEB.RF, and VTB on implementing the project's second stage. The project's cost was initially estimated at 387.7 billion rubles; the current investment estimate stands at 445 billion rubles. It will be financed 70–75% through borrowed funds. Construction of the plant's first stage (methanol production) began in 2021. The plant's launch is planned for the end of 2026.

Far Eastern Industrial Parks — 442.5 Billion Rubles

In 2019, at the EEF, an agreement was signed between the Far East Investment and Export Agency and Otkritie Financial Corporation Bank on an investment project structured as a public-private partnership. The project is expected to create a network of seven industrial parks in Vladivostok, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sovetskaya Gavan, Blagoveshchensk, Chita, and Ulan-Ude, along with a nuclear medicine center in Buryatia and a year-round children's camp in Yakutia. Total investment came to 442.5 billion rubles. The nuclear medicine center in Ulan-Ude opened in October 2022.

Exploration of Deposits in Yakutia — 364.7 Billion Rubles

In 2019, at the EEF, the Far East Investment and Export Agency and JSC Oil Company Tuymaada-Neft signed an agreement worth 364.7 billion rubles on the geological survey and industrial development of oil and gas fields in Yakutia.