In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin designated the development of the Russian Far East as a national priority for the entire 21st century. ... We may well see the development of the Russian Far East as a fast-payback, high-payback project rather than simply supporting the economy of the Russian Far East — Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

Our President has designated the development of Siberia and the Far East as a priority for the entire 21st century. I am convinced that this is not a figure of speech. No other country in the world has such an external framework, and no one has the Far East and the Arctic. This is an area on a scale comparable to the largest countries in the world, the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia — Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

If there is one thing the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China and the United States have in common, it is that neither of us wants to see a resurgence of organized terrorism on Afghan territory. I would also like to talk about climate change, which is a very important topic. Like the pandemic, it brings us all together regardless of the structure of our economies — Kevin Michael Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI); Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

Climate change may become a new idea or a new dogma that will be used in international relations to change the rules of the game. Trillions of dollars’ worth of decisions will be made — Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

Dialogue is the only best way to push back and find solutions to problems such as climate change, to problems such as Afghanistan and those already mentioned — Atsushi Sunami, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The ability to transform our economies into renewable economies is not only possible but also economically feasible. It is not only economically possible but also technically possible. It will allow us to create new opportunities for trade and investment that have not existed before — Kevin Michael Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI); Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

The first and most important thing is how we produce energy. The energy transition [is] already in full swing. It has to do with climate and humanity's willingness to abandon the traditional way of generating energy. What do we make materials out of, digging them out of the ground and melting them or assembling them from elements, like a construction set, what do we need? In light of these technological changes, the risks to the economic structure of the Russian Far East are obvious — Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

What is the impact of new technologies? We are interested in a strategy that encourages the development of new technologies – this applies to artificial intelligence and space technology. But of course, it has to do with fierce competition — Atsushi Sunami, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Trade relations are changing. We are facing a number of restrictions related to the export of agricultural products, fish. On the one hand, this has been a challenge and has even affected the rate of economic growth in 2020. But on the other hand, it has helped us find new ways to market in the Far East — Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

We have seen discontinuities and failures of ambitious plans. We see tensions between the US and China, all the sanctions imposed, the US against Russia, also the pandemic has done its part. Yes, indeed, some projects have stalled, slowed down, overall cargo volumes have decreased — Glenn Diesen, Professor, University of Southeast Norway.

We will pay great attention to creating comfortable living conditions for people. I named the figure at 81,000 jobs. But these are not just jobs, because after working in a factory, a person must have somewhere to live and have the opportunity and conditions to educate their children, receive medical care, and rest. All this must be created — Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

I would like to build a new quality of life, to expand and equip our Far Eastern cities, to bring in the most modern, the most interesting things — Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

Cooperation between Russia and Asia is deepening. We are talking about a strategic partnership. This certainly gives a boost to strong infrastructure development, which is exactly what is needed for active international trade along the Northern Sea Route — Glenn Diesen, Professor, University of Southeast Norway.

On the one hand, we need to push back on politics and geopolitics because young people around the world, whether we are Chinese, Australian or Russian, will look to us, expecting us to act to ensure at least the current situation remains — Kevin Michael Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI); Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

An important point is international cooperation through legal instruments. We hope to see the Arctic as an area of cooperation rather than an area of competition, so we are keen to cooperate with the leadership of the Russian Federation in every possible way — Atsushi Sunami, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The most important thing is that this success, if Russia achieves it, will not prevent anyone from living. On the contrary, it will only help. This is a rare case where the success of one allows the success of others — Andrei Bystritskiy, Сhairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club.

What we have been seeing in Antarctica for a century tells us that we have to be extremely careful how we handle the very fragile ecosystems of the polar regions. Of course, these are very different regions. Antarctica is a continent, and in the Arctic, we are dealing with ice that is melting. I would like the forum to address solutions that are shared — Kevin Michael Rudd, President, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI); Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

The Arctic region is a very fragile system. There's a lot we don't understand. There’s a lot we need to understand. And problems are lurking there, challenges. For example, we lack observation data. Japan is constantly observing the Arctic region — Atsushi Sunami, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation.