VLADIVOSTOK, September 10. /TASS/. The first Falcon Day International Forum to address bird of prey conservation problems will be held on the opening day of the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, the official EEF website says.

The forum has been organized on instructions from the Russian government. Its organizing committee is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko.

Five sessions will be held during the forum to address conservation and use of birds from the Falconidae family. Among other things, participants will discuss successful practices of preserving and restoring the populations of gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, saker falcon and other species.

"One of the primary objectives of the event is the adoption of the Framework Declaration of Intent for the Conservation of the Gyrfalcon Population by the range states. This document will delineate the crucial areas of focus aimed at conserving and bolstering the population of this endangered raptor, whose numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, depletion of its food sources, as well as issues like poaching and the illicit trafficking of these birds," the forum’s official website says.

Earlier, the press service of the Roscongress Foundation reported that the first falcon auction will take place as part of the Falcon Day. It is expected to be attended by guests from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait - countries with a strong tradition of falconry. The auction is supposed to demonstrate the advantages of a legal and professional approach to breeding, training and trading of falcons and to draw the global community’s attention to the conservation of rare species of falcons.

The auction will feature various species of falcons from Russian breeding centers. A significant part of the income will be directed to support conservation efforts.

Other events

Other events to be held on the first day of EEF will include sessions held as part of the Creative Business Forum, including on interactions between art market and sectoral businesses in Russia’s Far East, ways to form a talent pool for the creative economy, implementation of international projects and regional initiatives, as well as on ways to promote and upgrade cities through their unique cultural identity.

A separate session of the forum will be devoted to support and development of the Russian language and culture of Russia’s indigenous peoples in the digital space.

Another highlight of Day One will be an international conference, Colonialism in the East and Its Impact on the Modern World. Participants of the event will examine history and politics of the colonial period, as well as ways to overcome the colonial legacy and problems of decolonization of culture and science in the countries of the East.

As part of the EEF’s main program, a discussion will be held on digital tools for promoting Russian educational and scientific technologies on foreign markets. Its participants will discuss the International Platform for Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Interuniversity Collaboration. It is aimed at providing organizational, methodological and informational support to Russian educational and scientific organizations in the development of interaction with foreign partners and international organizations. The event will provide information about the selection of candidates for training in Russia under the quota system, and subsequently, the implementation of the grant support program.

Vladimir Putin’s participation in EEF

Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the EEF’s work on September 11 and 12. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that the Russian leader will traditionally address the event’s plenary session and participate in a number of other events, including a separate meeting with EEF moderators. Besides, the president will be shown a presentation of the Far Eastern development results and participate in the launch of new productions. His work schedule also includes a working meeting with Primorye Region governor Oleg Kozhemyako.

Eastern Economic Forum

The 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) will be held in Vladivostok on September 10-13, 2023. The slogan for this year’s forum is: On the Path to Partnership Peace and Prosperity. The Roscongress Foundation is the event organizer. TASS is the EEF’s general information partner.