Eurasian economy and geopolitics at the Vladivostok Forum

The meeting was held from September 4 to 6. Leaders of China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Malaysia, India, and delegations from Western countries gather around Putin. The Russian development plans for the decade 2025-2035. Putin and Modi: multiply the volume of trade by 300%. Russian-Chinese investments of over 3.5 billion euros. Moscow and Beijing feel "discriminated" on world markets and promise mutual support in trade wars.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - From September 5th to 6th the fifth Eastern Economic Forum was held in Vladivostok, on the island called "Russa" in front of the easternmost port of the Russian Federation. The leaders of China, Japan, Mongolia and Malaysia met with the Russians, with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their guest of honor and some delegations from Western countries.

The Forum has been launched for five years. Four years ago, at the first meeting of the countries of the Far East, the focus of negotiations was on relations between Russia and China, and the set of talks had not received great international media coverage. Now the leaders meetings are given wide coverage and all the pomp of state encounters, demonstrating the powerful growth of this region of the world.

The first day was dominated by the meeting between Putin and Modi, where the project to multiply the volume of trade between India and Russia by 300% was discussed. Over 20 broad agreements were signed, not only of an economic nature, but also in the sphere of culture and education. The Russian president gave his guest a symbolic stamp, issued for the 150 anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

Later the leaders of the various countries were called to pronounce themselves on the great Putin development plan of the Far East for the decade 2025-2035. It includes the principles necessary for the stability and security of the Asian Pacific region, up to the regulation of freedom of trade, based on international agreements. At the end of the plenary assembly, Putin invited his colleagues to a judo competition, his passion from his youth.

The Chinese delegation was the second largest, with 183 members led by Deputy Prime Minister Hu Chunhua. The Russian-Chinese intergovernmental meeting for cooperation and development in the Far East, in the Russian region of Lake Baikal and in the North-East region of China was held together with Russian deputy prime minister Jurij Trutnev.

The projects under consideration envisage investments of over 3.5 billion euros. Russians and Chinese have declared that they feel discriminated against on Western markets by forms of hostility and unfair competition, especially in the various dimensions of the media market, and have promised to support each other in this international trade war.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was present at the Forum, as in all previous editions,, with whom the Russians are in endless negotiations. Moscow wants to tie economic agreements with the signing of the peace treaty between the two countries, which has been pending since the Second World War, and the resolution of the dispute for the Kuril Islands.

Putin’s foreign policy representative, Jurij Ushakov, acknowledged that the issue has not been able to progress for years, and once again remained without a solution. However, the Japanese have brought the largest delegation, with 220 members, including many diplomats and businessmen, and negotiations with the Russians have achieved important results in the oil field.

South Korea was represented by Vice-Premier Hong Nam-ki, also with a package of agreements signed with Russia, also confirmed by 18 American companies, including IBM, MasterCard and Aecom.

In the days before the Forum, President Putin had visited Mongolia, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory over the Japanese occupiers. The vast range of the Russian-Mongolian agreements had sanctioned the end of the fascination of Mongolia for the West and Japan, the so-called "third neighbor" in addition to China and Russia. In Soviet times, Russia considered Ulan-Bator as its own satellite, and the new friendship between the two countries, linked by very deep historical destinies, confirms the "Eurasian" vocation of Putin's Russia.