Economy-camel, the revival of the An-2 and the falcons of Tatarstan: the first day of WEF-2026

      What the first day of the Eastern Economic Forum was remembered for and what Tatarstan presents

      Forum on the development of the Far East

      The forum is attended by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, heads of federal ministries and departments, owners and leaders of large businesses. Undoubtedly, such interest is caused by the very theme of the Far East – a large and very important part of Russia. It is not surprising that the main theme of the EEF-2026 sounds like this: "The Far East – development for the benefit of people." This time, Vladimir Putin traditionally arrived in Vladivostok for the EEF on September 2, immediately after participating in a meeting of the Council of Heads of State – members of the SCO in Bishkek. The President of Russia will participate in the plenary session of the forum on September 3 along with the leaders of Indonesia, Myanmar, and Mongolia, as well as the Vice Premier of the State Council of China, Ding Xuexiang. Delegations from 80 countries, including China, India, the UAE, Japan, Mongolia, and South Korea, confirmed their participation in the Eastern Economic Forum. Organizers expect the signing of 380 agreements worth 6.5 trillion rubles on key areas of macro-regional development. In 2025, the EEF gathered about 8,000 participants from 75 countries.

      Tatarstan at the EEF

      Tatarstan traditionally takes an active part in the Eastern Economic Forum. This time, at the republic's stand, the business forum "TIME: Russia – India. Mutual Efficiency" is presented, which will take place in Kazan on October 15-16. The Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan also invites guests to the main business events of 2027 in the republic – "Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum" and the forum "GROWTH: Russia and China – mutually beneficial cooperation." Here, one can also get acquainted with the investment potential of Tatarstan. The presentation is prepared in Russian, English, and Chinese. The Tatarstan project for the return of the saker falcon to nature has already been presented at the EEF. It was discussed at the IV International Forum "Falcon Day" by the director of the Volga-Kama Nature Reserve, Yan Murzakhanov, and the leading specialist of the project, Ivan Chaplashkin. Over four years, 49 chicks have been released into the natural habitat in the republic. Only in 2026, 25 birds were sent to the wild: 16 from the Kazan Zoo and nine from the "Sapsan" nursery in the Tula region. In 2024, adult falcons were placed in the zoo's aviaries, which produced their first offspring – two chicks – the following year. The saker falcon, once widely distributed in Russia, is now listed in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Russia, and Tatarstan. After the bird disappeared from the region's nature, a comprehensive program for its breeding and return to the natural environment was developed in the republic. The project is planned to be scaled up, releasing at least 20 chicks annually. It is implemented with the financial support of SIBUR, and the released birds are monitored by ornithologist scientists and volunteers.

      The first day of the forum

      The first day of the forum turned out to be extremely eventful: many interesting statements were made on the platform. The Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, announced that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is ready to supply the updated An-2 with a new VK-800 engine starting in 2028. However, according to Trutnev, efforts should be concentrated on producing a new light aircraft. The Special Representative of the President of Russia for relations with international organizations, Boris Titov, warned against switching the economy to "berserk mode," that is, to a mobilization mode. According to him, a complete transition of the economy to military rails can be compared to a "berserk mode, which can only exist for a very limited time." Therefore, one should think a hundred times before deciding on such an extreme action. The advisor to the head of the Central Bank, Kirill Tremasov, compared the Russian economy... to a camel. At the EEF session, he was asked which animal he associates the Russian economy with. He replied: with a camel, because it can survive in the most extreme conditions. Besides camels, Tremasov also told the audience that the Central Bank of Russia will continue its tight monetary policy aimed at suppressing inflation in 2027. The advisor to the head of the Central Bank also lamented the deviation of inflation from the desired level set by the Central Bank due to the situation in the fuel market. Meanwhile, the Central Bank has raised its inflation forecast for 2026 from 4.5-5.5% to 6-7%. The Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Roman Chekushov, predicted that the share of online trading would grow to 35% by 2030. In 2025, the annual turnover of online trading in the country reached 13.2 trillion rubles – 21% of the total retail trade volume. Against the backdrop of recent large-scale terrorist attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the logistics facilities of the largest marketplaces, such a statement looks optimistic, but perhaps there is some reason in such psychotherapy. The head of Rosrybolovstvo, Ilya Shestakov, complained that Russians do not consume almost 5 kg of fish per year. According to him, citizens consume about 23-23.5 kg, while they should consume all 28 kg. In this, he echoes Vladimir Putin, who in October 2025 reminded about the recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for annual fish consumption at the level of 28 kg. Putin then called for the development of the industry and the establishment of supplies from the Far East. It is possible that in the coming days of the EEF, this issue will be revisited.

      Politics at the EEF

      The forum was not without political statements, which were largely forced in nature.

      The Russian Foreign Ministry sharply reacted to the closure of the Russian consulate general in Bonn and the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin. According to the Deputy Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Grushko, Russia will definitely respond in a way it deems necessary. And this response will be very quick. Alexander Grushko also stated once again that the actions and rhetoric of NATO confirm the alliance's preparation for war with Russia, and the direction and development of its military programs lead to military confrontation with our country. By the way, Vladimir Putin, just before arriving in Vladivostok, spoke in Bishkek at the SCO summit about the anti-Russian decision of the German authorities. According to him, Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not defend the national interests of his country, but "trades them." Russia is still ready to supply gas to Germany, but the German authorities' heads are filled with Russophobia, not with concern for the benefit of their own economy. Anti-Russian decisions from Berlin only exacerbate the crisis in Russian-German relations.