WEF shapes new contours of international partnership

John Parkins

At a time when geopolitical upheavals and threats are forcing many countries to live in the present and its problems, the countries of the Asia-Pacific region are thinking about the future, building interesting plans for the future and new economic strategies. This is evidenced not only by the theme of the IX Eastern Economic Forum - ‘The Far East - 2030. Joining Efforts, Creating Opportunities’. This is also confirmed by the content of the large-scale event that took place from 3 to 6 September in Vladivostok.

This year, more than 6,000 people from 76 countries and regions were invited to participate in the WEF.

In his welcoming address to the forum participants, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: ‘The role of the Asia-Pacific Region in international affairs is rapidly growing. New opportunities for productive co-operation are opening up here, including within the framework of such authoritative multilateral structures as Eurasian Economic Community, SCO and BRICS. I would like to reaffirm that Russia is open for dialogue with all interested partners in the Asia-Pacific region and is determined to actively cooperate in order to build a fairer and more democratic system of international relations based on genuine equality, free from dictate, force and sanctions pressure’.

The Forum, established in 2015 by presidential decree to promote the development of the Far East economy and expand international co-operation in the Asia-Pacific region, has long gone beyond its stated geography and attracted more and more countries into its orbit. This year, the issue of co-operation between countries of the global south was frequently touched upon here. In fact, the WEF is becoming an additional platform for these countries, where they can synchronise their watches and coordinates, agree on new projects, and create promising models of cooperation.

During the Forum, new contours of international cooperation, independence technologies, the financial system of values, the regions of the Russian Far East, transport and logistics, master plans for Far Eastern cities, and education issues were discussed at the Far Eastern Federal University. The WEF business programme included business dialogues with leading partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as with ASEAN: Russia-India, Russia-China, Russia-Mongolia, and Russia-ASEAN.

The participants of the ‘Russia - ASEAN’ session noted the growing role of Russia's co-operation with the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations after the turn of the Russian economy to the East. And Gohar Barseghyan, Member of the Board (Minister) for Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex of the Eurasian Economic Commission, said that the volume of mutual trade of the Eurasian Economic Union member states with ASEAN member states in 2023 exceeded $27 billion and has a significant growth potential.

Already on the first day of the Forum, the host country demonstrated that new contours of international cooperation are not only discussed in the format of panel discussions, but also created before the eyes of the WEF participants. On 3 September, negotiations took place between the delegations of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The Russian side was represented by Sholban Kara-ool, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, Alexander Babakov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, and Alexei Didenko, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Regional Policy and Local Self-Government. From the Myanmar side, the talks were attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Union Minister of Transport and Communications, General Mya Tun Oo, Union Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Min Naung, Deputy Minister of Information Major General Zaw Min Tun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the Russian Federation Tit Linn Oun, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Economic Relations of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Aung Moe Che.

The meeting participants noted the intensive strengthening of multi-vector relations between Russia and Myanmar. Specific steps included the successful opening of Consulates General and the launch of direct flights to promote bilateral tourism. The upcoming census in October 2024 and Myanmar's general elections scheduled for 2025 were also discussed. The negotiators spoke of the need for inter-parliamentary communication, including the possibility of sending delegations from Russia and friendly countries as international observers for the efficiency and objectivity of the elections. The Myanmar delegation invited an extended Russian parliamentary group to visit.

As we can see, while the West continues its sanctions policy against Myanmar, another part of the world has a very different attitude towards this state, which has a population of more than 50 million people. Myanmar is a member of ASEAN, the main integration group of actively developing countries of Southeast Asia. And the countries of the Asia-Pacific region did not share the view of those States that wished to see Myanmar pariahised. On the contrary, there is a search for forms of active co-operation with Myanmar.

On 4 September during the WEF, the Russian RK-Investment Fund, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar signed a trilateral Memorandum on Business and Technical Cooperation in the Agricultural Sector. The two sides agreed to jointly endeavour to implement a project for the construction of a plant for the production of organic foliar plant growth stimulants in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

The main objective of this Memorandum is to obtain permits from the Myanmar side to import fertilisers from Russia for a large-scale agricultural experiment, to certify them, to use and sell them in the territory of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The Myanmar side also undertakes to provide assistance in the sale of products of the future plant growth stimulant production facility. According to preliminary estimates, the volumes of these products will cover up to 14 per cent of Myanmar's demand for such preparations.

In addition, the Memorandum sets out the parties' intentions to implement projects to develop technologies to improve soil quality. It is also planned to establish a seed and breeding cluster in Myanmar, which will work year-round to provide seeds to the two countries, replacing imports from unfriendly countries and thereby improving food security.

It is telling that today's Myanmar is showing interest in joining BRICS. Its officials have recently been making more and more frequent statements to this effect. And it was on the WEF platform that new prospects and windows of opportunity for BRICS were seriously discussed in connection with the expansion of this association.

During the business dialogue ‘Expanded BRICS: New Constituents of Global Stability’, Zhao Jing, Deputy Secretary General of the China Council of BRICS Research Centres, stressed that the BRICS has entered a new era of change and turbulence, which is accompanied by regional conflicts in different parts of the world, great risks to geopolitical stability. ‘And the BRICS here can indeed offer solutions that will contribute to greater stability,’ Zhao Jing said.

The deputy secretary-general of the China Council of BRICS Research Centres said the organisation is growing, which means closer ties in developing countries. ‘Especially in energy, we can actively cooperate and achieve new joint results,’ Zhao Jing said. - We want southern countries to get closer to each other and work together.’

Thus, on the margins of the Forum, the idea that the countries of the global south are in active search of the force fields that will shape their future is being carried out. 

 

The meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahimi and Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the main announcements of the WEF. On the eve of the Forum, interest in the meeting was fuelled by a message from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry. It said: ‘The Prime Minister will confirm Malaysia's interest in joining BRICS during a conversation with President Putin, who chairs BRICS’.

On 4 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Han Zheng, Vice-Chairman of the People's Republic of China, at the Far Eastern Federal University. Vladimir Putin said: ‘Thanks to joint efforts, relations between China and Russia have reached an unprecedentedly high level. We attach great importance to interregional co-operation as well.’

The President reminded that the Russian side is waiting for the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan, which will be held on 22-24 October. Putin suggested holding a bilateral working meeting during the upcoming BRICS summit. 

On the margins of the WEF, various aspects of Russian-Chinese co-operation were touched upon. For example, one session discussed the opportunities for Russian small and medium-sized enterprises in the Chinese market. An important marker of this co-operation is its assessment by the participants from the Chinese side.

Sun Tanshu, founder and chairman of the board of directors of Qifa, reminded that Russia is home to raw materials industries, while China is home to industrial sectors. ‘Therefore, these two powers complement each other strongly,’ said Qifa's chairman of the board of directors. - As we have seen, last year the Russian-Chinese trade turnover exceeded $230 billion. But I believe that this is only the beginning.’ According to Sun Tanshu, the real potential of this trade turnover is at least $400 billion.

‘Border trade also has a corresponding potential because these border crossings unite our two countries,’ said the representative of the Chinese delegation. 

Sun Tanshu also touched upon the digital economy. State digitalisation programmes are being implemented in both Russia and China. But their trade is still lacking digitalisation. Qifa's Chairman of the Board of Directors said: ‘I believe that in order to quickly reach a trade turnover of $400 billion, we need help with digitalisation. Digitalisation is the only right way to develop and modernise China-Russia trade.’ Sun Tanshu added that there is already a tool for reaching a new level of trade relations. It is the Russian-Chinese digital trade platform Qifa. ‘We are creating a digital trade tool that helps any Russian and Chinese entrepreneur to conduct convenient, simple, efficient and smart trade,’ summarised the Qifa Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Russian-Chinese bilateral projects in science and technology, education and culture were also discussed on the margins of the Forum. Their number is expanding, and Russia and China are transferring best practices to each other. The importance of organising joint research and searching for technological solutions through the mechanism of university partnership, which is called a ‘technological bridge’, was also discussed.

The IX Eastern Economic Forum showed that not only South-East Asian countries intend to continue co-operation with the Russian Federation in the conditions of geopolitical turbulence and global instability. Thus, on 4 September, on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin.

It can be argued that it is in the eastern part of the globe that the search for the necessary solutions and missing elements for global stabilisation is underway. One of the places of strength for checking the clock of the economies of the global south (and not only it) every year is Russky Island.