VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Russia has never refused negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict settlement, but they should be based on the Istanbul agreements and not on ephemeral demands, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"Are we ready to negotiate with them? We have never refused to do so," Putin said at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). "However, not on the basis of some ephemeral demands, but on the basis of the documents that were agreed upon and inked in Istanbul."

On Istanbul talks

A meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul was held on March 29, 2022, with talks lasting for about three hours. The future agreement included Ukraine’s obligations on a neutral non-aligned status and the rejection of stationing foreign arms, including nuclear ones, on its territory.

Russian forces in the area of Kiev and Chernigov were withdrawn, however, following this, the negotiations on the settlement were completely frozen. As the Russian president noted, Kiev rejected all agreements. In October 2022, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council banning all talks with Putin.

About forum

The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is underway on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok on September 3-6, 2024. The main theme of the EEF in 2024 is "Far East 2030. Combining strengths to create new potential."

The EEF is one of the largest international conferences in Russia. It has been held in the Primorsky Region’s Russky Island in Vladivostok since 2015. The Forum is the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who decreed that the event be held annually.

The forum's objectives and goals include promoting the accelerated growth of Russia’s Far East region; assessing its potential for exports; expanding international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region; showcasing the investment appeal of the region, its steadily progressing territories, and the Vladivostok free port.

The Roscongress Foundation has served as the Forum’s organizer since 2016.

TASS is the general information partner of the EEF.