Plenary session of the 10th Eastern Economic Forum. Source: Roscongress, Vyacheslav Viktorov
This year’s Eastern Economic Forum primarily focused on the development of the Russian Far East, but its importance for the Arctic cannot be overlooked. This feature covers the results of discussions during this year’s EEF: general statistics, plans for cooperation with Eastern partners, the development of AI for the Northern Sea Route and more.
Before proceeding to Arctic matters, let us overview the key statistics of the Forum. The forum was attended by more than 4.5 thousand people from over 70 countries and territories. The areas with the largest number of agreements signed were: socio-economic development of Russian regions (64), education and science (60), investment and banking (43), industry and construction (42), and transport and logistics (29). We have previously overviewed the key aspects of the event’s programme: The Eastern Economic Forum 2025: To Be Discussed.
In general, this year’s event certainly took on a more international focus in its rhetoric and sessions.
International Cooperation
The international dimension was represented by discussions on the ‘Greater Eurasian Partnership’, the development of the digital Silk Road within the framework of Russian-Chinese cooperation, the logistics prospects of the Arctic, and three business dialogues—with ASEAN, Thailand, and Laos.
The relevance of the East for the Arctic is crucial for Russia’s domestic policy. The region does not just connect and serve as the endpoint for the Northern Sea Route, but also acts as a ‘testing ground’ for introducing new mechanisms of economic cooperation and development into the legal framework.
One such curious introduction is the adoption of the federal law on international territories of “advanced development”, which comes into force on 1 January 2026. The concept of advanced development has recently appeared in public discussions concerning the Far East and the Arctic. We can expect that this mechanism may be extended widely for Arctic projects.
According to Russian officials, intergovernmental agreements serve as a guarantor of investment protection and as a basis for providing an individual approach to each project. The first agreements between Russia and foreign countries in this sphere are planned to be signed in 2026—with China in the first half of the year, and with India in the second.
AI In The Arctic
Artificial intelligence gained an interesting angle as a solution to the personnel shortage. The CEO of JSC Cognitive, Anton Yemelyanov, identified it as a solution to the personnel problem. The idea is that the introduction of AI could allow any employee to perform qualified work and provide 100 per cent technological control of processes in the field.
According to estimates, robotisation projects demonstrate a payback period of 1.5-2 years, versus the previously expected 5-7 years.
The Northern Sea Route
Rosatom representatives spoke about the icebreaker fleet and shared plans for the commissioning of the icebreaker Chukotka. According to the company, the Northern Sea Route has demonstrated impressive dynamics—a 70 per cent increase in eastbound cargo traffic in 2024, to 7.2 million tonnes, with 3.1 million tonnes redirected from the Suez Canal route.
International Cooperation on the NSR
Over the first eight months of 2025, 1,028 permits have been issued for NSR voyages.
The route will also see a new extension: for the first time, an international transit voyage from Ningbo, China, via the NSR with intermediate stops in European ports and ending in St. Petersburg is being prepared.
Representatives of Asian countries have confirmed their growing interest in Arctic routes and noted the exceptional importance of the NSR for global trade, given the willingness of Chinese companies to invest in Arctic infrastructure:
- Secretary General of the Korean Arctic Shipping Association, Subeom Choi, confirmed interest in diversifying the risks of maritime transportation via the NSR, with a requirement for transparency of tariff indexation.
- Senior Fellow of the International Vivekananda Foundation Anurag Bisen presented the Indian position—readiness for cooperation through a five-year program in the Arctic region with a focus on agriculture, resource extraction, and transport systems.
It is said that India is interested in increasing supplies of Russian LNG and is prepared to consider investments in NSR infrastructure projects.
South Korea has allocated $5 billion to create infrastructure for Arctic shipping routes, including the construction of icebreakers by 2029.
Novatek representatives confirmed plans for test voyages by South Korean shipping companies in 2026, with consideration of the ports of Busan and Ulsan as hubs for Arctic transportation.
READ MOREBack To Cooperation Between Russia And South Korea In The Arctic? by Valery Konyshev
Goals Remain
The key goals for the NSR remain the same. Rosatom representatives have confirmed plans to ensure year-round and regular icebreaker escort for the next ten years.
The current model of icebreaker escort involves assigning a specific icebreaker to each Arctic project to ensure moving the projected volume of cargo, which requires at least 11 icebreakers. After 2030, according to Rosatom, a transition to a caravan model of icebreaker escort is planned. The focus of discussions on the extension of the NSR and the new ‘caravan-model’ was mentioned by us previously, when Vladimir Putin announced the development of the route in a new way—Transarctic Transport Corridor—A Reality?.