Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh joined top officials from 60 countries worldwide at the third Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) which opened in Vladivostok city on the Far East of Russia on Wednesday.

Nearly 5,000 top public officials, representatives of respected organisations and leaders of large Russian and foreign companies get together at the event themed “The Russian Far East: Creating a New Reality”.

In his speech at the forum, Binh lauded the Far East region’s positive changes in recent years.

Vladivostok will become a new economic centre connecting Russia and other economies in Asia-Pacific thanks to its abundant natural resources and Russia’s strategic policies to develop infrastructure, technology, finance, human resources and other mechanisms to branch out economic special zones, Binh highlighted.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far East Federal District Yuri Trutnev said that Far East has created favourable conditions for the investors like reducing electricity costs and granting electronic single entry visas for citizens of 18 countries when entering Russia through checkpoints at the Free Port of Vladivostok.

Russia is willing to co-operate with partners and ensure a good environment for the investors in healthcare, education, sports and culture, he added.

After the opening ceremony, the Vietnamese official and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister witnessed the signing of a co-operation deal between Vietnamese dairy firm TH True Milk and Russian Far East development group.

The EEF was firstly held in 2015 to promote economic development in the Far East and enlarge international collaboration in Asia-Pacific. The second forum in 2016 recorded over 200 agreements valued at around US$35 billion.

President Vladimir Putin is expected to deliver a speech at the plenary session on September 7. — VNS