VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Russia will always keep protecting its interests and the interests of people in Ukraine who keep standing in defense of their rights to speak the Russian language and respect national traditions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"We will undoubtedly keep protecting our interests and the interests of people who are close to us and who are bearers of the Russian language and the Russian culture, Russian traditions," Putin said at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

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.