Eastern Economic Forum 2023

President Putin: ‘We Are Witnessing a New Emerging Model of Relationships and Integration’

by Daniel Platt

[Print version of this article]

Sept. 17—The Anglophile elites fear Russian President Vladimir Putin, not because they believe the characterizations in their own propaganda organs of Putin as a cartoonishly belligerent, heartless “authoritarian,” but rather because they know him to be the mature, lucid leader who thwarted the neocons’ “End of History” gambit to crush Russia’s economy at the beginning of this century, and who is now a key figure in the global transformation represented by the BRICS organization.

Three weeks after the historic BRICS conference in South Africa, the 8th Eastern Economic Forum 2023 was held on September 10 through 13 in Vladivostok on the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) campus. The Forum is held each year in Vladivostok for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East, and to promote economic and cultural exchanges among the regions of the Asia-Pacific. Conference organizers reported there were 8,500 participants from 65 countries, including media representatives.

The plenary session was addressed by President Putin, who took the time to address many topics of strategic significance, but focused in particular on the enormous raw materials wealth of Russia’s Far East, and their ambitious plans to develop it. Helga Zepp-LaRouche, in her weekly webcast (full transcript available elsewhere in this issue), noted that China and other nations are prepared to invest and assist in these projects. She made this observation:

“This all proves that the effort to divide the BRICS, to say there are all these tensions, it’s just not true in reality, because I think these countries are completely determined to build a new system based on equality and based on joint ventures of win-win advantages for everybody. Rather than being completely hostile to this development, it would be very high time for the Western elites to just say, the majority of the world is moving in a different direction, and let’s take the positive step to cooperate.”

Putin’s Plenary Address

“One thing is clear,” Putin stated at the beginning of his keynote address to the Plenary Session. “The Far East is Russia’s strategic priority for the entire 21st century, and we will stick to this.”

He summarized the strategic context as follows: “We can all see very well the changes that the global economy has experienced in recent years and continues to experience now, including due to certain countries, primarily Western ones, of course, who are destroying the system of financial, trade, and economic relations that they had put much effort into building.”

“It is very important that in these conditions the world sees the expanding space for actual business cooperation between states that do not yield to external pressure but pursue their own national interests, with a growing number of such states in different regions of the world. ...Essentially, we are witnessing a new emerging model of relationships and integration—and not by Western patterns, for the elite, for the chosen ‘golden billion,’ but for the entire humanity and the entire existing and developing multipolar world. This model offers creative energy, openness and focus on a specific outcome as a powerful competitive advantage of the Asia-Pacific region, a key factor that determines and I am sure will determine for a long time its global leadership in economic growth.”

President Putin concentrated his attention on the enormous potential of the Russian Far East, an area almost the size of the continental United States. Putin pointed out, “I should note here that the average percentage of explored subsurface resources in the Far East is now 35%. You understand, only 35% of the subsurface area has been explored. What does this mean? It shows that there is every opportunity for the mining industries to grow by leaps and bounds, including the strategic raw materials that are in short supply, and which will be in demand in the economy of the future. … In order to increase the scope of geological exploration, we have launched a frontal strategy, it is called so beautifully, “Geology. Revival of a Legend.” I ask the Government to include a separate section in it, dedicated to the study of the Far East subsurface and to start preparing a similar section for Siberia….”

Questions and Answers

Following his speech, Putin engaged in a wide-ranging dialogue with conference moderator Ilya Doronov, managing director of the RBC TV channel.

On the future of Russia: “We are the makers of our future. I recently met with young scientists at Sarov [home of the Russian Federal Nuclear Centre, All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics]. They asked me questions too, at least we talked about this. What about? —I want to say this, maybe in a different format, but the core idea will be the same. —Scientists engage in R&D. Industrialists work in the sphere of material production, agriculture, in the industrial sector, etc. Cultural figures create images to preserve our values, which shape the inner life of every person and each citizen of Russia. All of this taken together will certainly yield a result. All of this should become embodied in our country’s self-reliance, including in the areas of security and defense. But this does not mean that this country will go into self-isolation. This means that we will develop our own country and make it even stronger in cooperation with our partners and friends and in integration with the overwhelming majority of countries that represent most of the world population.”

“I have already mentioned industry, science, and so on. But in so doing, we must under all circumstances preserve the soul of Russia, the soul of our multi-ethnic and multi-faith nation. This humanitarian component, along with science, education and real production, will be the basis upon which this country will advance, while feeling and taking itself as a sovereign and fully independent state with good prospects for development. It will be this way.”

On Africa: “What did the former colonizers [of Africa] do? Back in 1957—I was recently shown a photograph—they brought people from Africa in cages to European countries, for example, Belgium. It is an ugly sight, children put up on display in cages…. How can you forget this? Nobody in Africa will ever forget this. And now they are trying to issue commands and pursue their neo-colonial policy there. They have put all African countries in debt, which runs into trillions of dollars. In other words, they have created a financial credit system for Africa under which the African countries can never pay off their loans. These are not credit arrangements at all; it is a form of contribution, if you see what I mean.”

On Russia’s monetary policy: In response to the question, “How can you make any projections in a situation where you have no idea what is going to happen to the national currency?” Putin unfortunately endorsed the approach being taken by Russia’s monetarist Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina: high interest rates and a floating exchange rate for the ruble. “Of course, the Central Bank had to raise the key interest rate to 12%. I think that its decision was correct, and timely too. This will mean there are fewer opportunities to take out loans, it will constrain the economy and inhibit its development to a certain extent. However, this factor has a major bearing on mitigating inflationary risks. Everything must come at the right moment…. There are no good or very good decisions here; there are only difficult decisions, and they need to be adopted promptly. So far, both the Central Bank and the Government have done so, and rather effectively.”

On the U.S. presidential election: The moderator stated: “We understand that Trump could be taken into custody at any time.” To which Putin responded: “Why should we be concerned about that? I believe there will be no fundamental change in U.S. foreign policy towards Russia, regardless of who becomes President.”

“It is true that we hear Mr. Trump say he can resolve many serious problems, including the Ukraine crisis, in a few days. Well, that is something to be happy about. It would be good. But, in the grand scheme of things, we … by the way, despite the accusations of him having special ties with Russia, which is complete nonsense and absurdity, he imposed the greatest number of sanctions on Russia during his Presidency. So, I find it difficult to say what to expect from a new President, whoever it may be. It is unlikely, though, that any crucial change will take place, because the current authorities have conditioned American society to be anti-Russia in nature and spirit; that is how things are. They did this, and it will now be very difficult for them to turn that ship around. That is the first point.

“Second, they view Russia as an existential and constant adversary or even an enemy and implant this idea into the heads of ordinary Americans. This is not good because it fosters hostility. Despite this, there are many people in America who want to build good and friendly business relationships with us and, moreover, share many of our positions, primarily from the perspective of preserving traditional values. We have many friends and like-minded people there. But, of course, they are being suppressed.

“So, we have no way of knowing who will be elected, but whoever it is, it is unlikely that the anti-Russia policy of the United States will change.

“As for the persecution of Trump, well, in today’s conditions, in my view, that’s a good thing…. Because it reveals the rotten American political system, which should not be able to claim it can teach others about democracy.

“Everything that is happening to Trump is the political persecution of a political rival. That is what it is. And it is happening in the eyes of the U.S. public and the whole world. They have exposed their domestic problems.”

On the war in Ukraine: Putin stressed that Russia can’t stop hostilities if it is repelling an enemy counteroffensive. “Listen, from all sides the people we communicate with who would like to act as intermediaries, are asking: Are you ready for a ceasefire? How can we cease hostilities if the other side is conducting a counteroffensive? What should we do? They will continue their counteroffensive, and we will say we are stopping? We are not Trotskyites who said that movement is everything, and the ultimate goal is nothing. That is a bad theory,” he said.

The President said that in order to start a peace process, the Kiev regime should first lift the legislative ban on negotiations. He went on: “Listen, I have already told you that first they should rescind the executive order that prohibits talks and announce that they want to engage in negotiations, and that is all there is to it. Then we will see what happens next.” Putin said.

Putin also said that no weapons that the U.S. and its NATO allies could ship to Ukraine, including cluster munitions, depleted uranium tank rounds, or F-16s, will change the situation on the battle front. “Has it altered the situation? The British have been sending these shells for a long time. … Will this change anything? I think not. I am sure it will not. Will it drag the conflict out? Yes, it will. But what concerns us is the fact that they have no restraints,” he said.

Putin just a bit earlier remarked: “I have to repeat. Not too long ago, the U.S. administration considered the use of cluster munitions to be a war crime, they said this publicly. Now they are sending cluster munitions to the combat area in Ukraine.”

He went on to say that “Their election process begins in November, and they need to show some results at any cost. They are pushing Ukraine to continue the hostilities, no matter what they say publicly, because they do not care about Ukrainians. Surprisingly, today’s Ukrainian leadership does not seem to care about its own people, either; they just throw them like firewood into a stove, plain and simple.”

On the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): IMEC is part of the NATO bloc’s tactic of announcing plans for major transportation projects in an effort to undermine and compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Putin had the following to say: “I think it is for our good; it will help us develop logistics.”

“First, this project has been discussed for a long time, maybe for the past several years. Truth be told, the Americans joined it at the last minute. But I do not really see why they would want to be part of it, except maybe in terms of some business interest.

“In the meantime, the additional traffic of goods along this corridor will be in fact an addition to our North-South project [the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)]. We do not see anything here that could harm us in any way.

“The North-South corridor goes to the Persian Gulf and then to India. If there is another route, I believe it includes Israel, we will be able to reach the Mediterranean through the Black Sea and use this corridor.

“I do not know, the colleagues who presented this project need to consider it carefully. This is only a memorandum of intent so far.

“But we should look at the economics of this project because, cargo is supposed to reach the sea by railroad, and then it will be loaded aboard sea vessels, and then travel to either the [United] Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia; it will be once again reloaded onto the railroad. And this doubles transshipment and its impact on the economics should be calculated.

“The head of our leading company Russian Railways, Mr. Oleg Belozyorov, is nodding along, so it seems I hit the nail on the head, and it is really about the economics of it, which should be thoroughly calculated.

“In terms of time, if we go from Northern Europe, from St. Petersburg to Mumbai, it will take the same amount of time as via the North-South route. I reiterate, the economics should be considered. I think that our route [INSTC] might be more efficient.

“Also, interest in using the Suez Canal will not go anywhere. I do not think it would somehow have a negative impact on the Suez Canal. I do not believe that will happen.

“And, finally, the last thing. Cargo shipment volumes are growing every year, and I think that the more such routes the better.”

On “new physical principles weapons”: in a September 12 video link discussion with other moderators of sessions of the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin responded to remarks by V. Pirozhkov on the topic of Russian development of weapons which are “based on processes and phenomena which have not previously been used for military purposes.” This is a topic in which Lyndon LaRouche became strongly interested in the 1970s, after he became aware of Russian research in inertial confinement fusion, and the possible use of related technologies to neutralize nuclear weapons.

Putin said, “…indeed, even if you look at the security sphere, weapons based on new physical principles will ensure the security of any country in the near historical perspective. We understand this very well and are working on it.”

A translated transcript of Putin’s address and discussion is available here. Dennis Small and others contributed to this article.