TASS FACTBOX. Vladivostok will host the 11th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) from September 1 to 4. Its main theme for 2026 is "The Far East: Development for the Benefit of People." The TASS Factbox editorial team has compiled background information on the forum.

Key Information

The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is one of Russia's largest international conferences. It has been held annually since 2015 on Russky Island (Vladivostok, Primorsky Region) at the Far Eastern Federal University, in accordance with a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin dated May 19, 2015. The forum was canceled only once, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event aims to accelerate the economic development of the Russian Far East, provide expert assessments of its potential, and expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, including with ASEAN. It also serves to promote and showcase the investment attractiveness of the region, its Advanced Development Territories (ADTs), and the Free Port of Vladivostok. A large number of agreements are traditionally signed at the EEF. Since 2018, at least 3 trillion rubles ($35 bln) worth of deals have been done each year, with a record set in 2025: 358 agreements worth a combined 6.058 trillion rubles ($71 bln).

Organization and Partners

Preparations for the EEF are overseen by an organizing committee chaired by Yury Trutnev, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District. The forum's operator in 2015 was the non-profit Eastern Economic Forum Foundation; since 2016, the Roscongress Foundation has served in the role.

The EEF's title partners for 2026 are the A7 Russian international payment system and VEB.RF. The forum's general sponsors and partners for 2026 include VTB, Gazprom, RusHydro, and the Elga coal company, with Aeroflot serving as the official carrier. TASS is the general media partner of the EEF.

Guests: Top Officials

Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the EEF every year since its inception in 2015. High-ranking foreign officials have participated in the forum since 2016, with a total of 13 heads of state and government from nine foreign countries attending over the years. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not miss a single EEF between 2016 and 2019. Representatives of the Republic of Korea attended the event twice: Presidents Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In 2019 and 2024, the forum received Malaysian Prime Ministers Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim. Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga participated in 2017, 2018, and 2019, while the country's Prime Ministers, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene and Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, attended in 2022 and 2025, respectively. The forum was also attended once by Chinese President Xi Jinping (2018), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (2019), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (2022), Myanmar Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing (2022), and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (2025).

EEF 2026

The program of the 11th EEF includes over 70 business events, featuring panel sessions, roundtables, and business dialogues. The program is divided into five main thematic blocks:

· Living and Working in the Far East;

· Mechanisms for Attracting Private Investment;

· The Far East: A Pole of International Interaction (including business dialogues featuring Russia-China, Russia-India, Russia-ASEAN, and others);

· Technologies of the Present and Future;

· Logistics and Infrastructure for Economic Growth.

Business events will also take place as part of the traditional "Far East Street" cultural project. In addition, the EEF will feature the Creative Industries Forum, the "Day of the Future" youth forum, the International Falcon Day Forum (September 1), the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Forum, the APEC International Conference on Cooperation in Higher Education, and the conference titled "Crossroads of Civilizations: The Role of Transport Integration in the History of the Asia-Pacific Region." According to the Roscongress Foundation press service, representatives from 80 countries have confirmed their participation in the 2026 forum.

Sports and Cultural Programs

The Eastern Economic Forum is traditionally accompanied by a rich cultural and sports program.The 2026 lineup includes the Roscongress Chess Cup, the EEF Open Water Swimming Cup, international table tennis and mass-wrestling tournaments, and the 5th International Vladivostok Regatta. Football joined the sports program for the first time on August 28, 2026, with a gala match featuring legends of the Spartak Moscow football club.

As part of the cultural program, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host a concert by pianist Denis Matsuev, accompanied by the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The "Far Eastern Seasons" Arts Festival will showcase the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Far East, with its gala concert also taking place on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. Meanwhile, the Primorsky State Art Gallery will host the grand opening of the exhibition "Russian Impressionism: The Element of Color."

On September 2, a free concert titled "The Soul of Russia: A Language Understood by All" will be held at the Square of the Fighters for Soviet Power in Vladivostok, featuring popular performers from Russia and China.