The XI Eastern Economic Forum is scheduled for September 1–4 in Vladivostok. Uzbekistan will once again present itself within the forum's sports program, but the republic's interest in the Far East covers a much broader range of areas than just sporting competitions.
In recent years, there has been a significant strengthening of business, educational, tourism, and humanitarian contacts between Uzbekistan and Primorsky Krai. The emergence of direct flights connecting Vladivostok with Samarkand and Bukhara is particularly important.
Uzbekistan regularly participates in events of the Eastern Economic Forum. One of the most notable aspects of this cooperation is sports interaction, specifically the International Vladivostok Regatta.
Uzbek athletes participated in the regatta back in 2023. In 2024, representatives of Uzbekistan became prize winners alongside athletes from China, Cuba, and Kazakhstan. In 2025, Uzbekistan rejoined the participants of the International Vladivostok Regatta, where athletes from ten countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, and Armenia, competed for the main prize.
Thus, the participation of Uzbek athletes in Vladivostok has become a permanent element of the international forum program.
This year, Uzbekistan is also listed among the participating countries in the WEF's sports program. According to organizers, the forum's sporting events will unite over 3,000 athletes from six states: Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, and North Korea. The main events will be sailing and rowing competitions.
Uzbek athletes will take part in the International Vladivostok Regatta, which will include coastal rowing competitions in singles, doubles, and fours, as well as indoor rowing. The WEF-2026 program also provides for international sailing competitions, the 'Far Eastern Cup', the 'Roscongress Cup', the 'Sail Parade', and a mass athletics race.
For Uzbekistan, the WEF serves not only as an economic platform but also as an important venue for establishing international humanitarian and sports ties.
Ties between Uzbekistan and Primorsky Krai have shown noticeable expansion in recent years. In July 2025, a delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Ambassador Botirjon Asadov, visited the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Primorsky Krai. At this meeting, issues of increasing trade turnover, joint investment projects, and the creation of fiber optic distribution centers were discussed. The parties also focused on finding new logistics routes and financial settlement methods.
The Primorsky side emphasized the significance of Uzbekistan for the Far East and the prospects for deepening economic partnerships. Areas of cooperation mentioned included trade, investment, support for small and medium-sized businesses, labor migration, and cultural and educational exchanges.
Development of cooperation is also observed in the field of tourism. In 2025, entrepreneurs from Primorsky Krai visited Uzbekistan, where they familiarized themselves with sites in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara, holding negotiations on mutual trade. Furthermore, an agreement was reached on developing a program to increase tourist flow between Primorye and Uzbekistan for the period 2025–2026.
One of the most obvious results of this interaction has been the improvement of direct air connections. On June 23, 2025, the airline Centrum Air operated the first direct flight on the Samarkand—Vladivostok route, marking the first direct air connection between these cities and opening a new channel for business, tourist, and humanitarian travel.
Later that year, another route—Vladivostok—Bukhara—was added. Weekly direct flights between these cities began on November 6, 2025. This is a critically important step for the development of relations, as cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Far East is now based not only on official meetings but also on the presence of direct transport infrastructure.
For Uzbekistan, which lacks sea access, the Far East represents a key transit hub in the Asia-Pacific region. Vladivostok is a major port and transport center of Russia through which multimodal routes pass, connecting the Russian market with countries in East and Southeast Asia.
Uzbekistan is considering options for international transport corridors using routes through Kazakhstan, Russia, and Far Eastern ports such as Nakhodka and Vladivostok. Vladivostok itself actively interacts with Asian markets; for example, container transport from China, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian countries to Russia and CIS countries is carried out through the Vladivostok Sea Trade Port.
Consequently, cooperation with Primorye can bring benefits to Uzbekistan in logistics, trade with the Russian Far East, access to Asian markets, tourism, and business contacts.
The WEF-2026 business program includes over 70 sessions structured around five main areas: development of life and work in the Far East, attracting private investment, international cooperation, technology, and logistics. Several topics are of particular relevance to Uzbekistan.
These include logistics and infrastructure, as the development of transport corridors and the use of Far Eastern infrastructure can expand Uzbekistan's trade opportunities with Russia and the Asia-Pacific countries. International economic exchange is also important, providing a platform to find partners not only at the federal level of Russia but also directly in the regions of the Far East.
Investment and industrial cooperation were subjects of discussion between the Primorye Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Uzbek side in 2025, concerning joint projects and the development of fiber optic distribution infrastructure. The track dedicated to technology and digitalization aligns with Uzbekistan's interests in the digital economy and modernization. Finally, tourism received practical support through the appearance of direct flights Vladivostok—Samarkand and Vladivostok—Bukhara.
The Eastern Economic Forum remains the leading Russian platform for discussing issues of Far East development, investment, and international cooperation. This year's business program includes over 70 sessions and five thematic blocks. Last year's statistics demonstrate the scale of the forum: 358 agreements worth 6 trillion 58.2 billion rubles were concluded at WEF-2025. Thus, Uzbekistan's participation in the forum provides an opportunity to become part of a platform where representatives of Russian business, investors, and Asian countries meet.
Although the sports program is currently the most officially confirmed format of Uzbekistan's participation in WEF-2026, the overall nature of relations with Primorsky Krai indicates a much broader interest from both sides. Over the past two years, direct flights have appeared, business contacts have intensified, tourism and humanitarian exchanges are developing, and investment and logistics projects are being discussed. In light of this, the WEF may contribute to the further strengthening of these ties. In fact, for Uzbekistan, Vladivostok is transforming from simply the easternmost point of Russia into a potential transport, business, and tourist bridge between Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
