Vladivostok to become platform for discussing new global trade architecture at the Open Dialogue

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Key issues of overcoming fragmentation and building a new, fairer global trade architecture will become the central theme of the expert convening "The Future of the World. New Platform for Global Growth" in Vladivostok. The event, dedicated to investing in connectivity, will bring together leading international specialists at the branch of the National Centre RUSSIA in the Primorye region to develop practical solutions for relaunching the global trading system.

The Open Dialogue format, initiated by Russia on the instructions of President Vladimir Putin, is becoming a sustainable ecosystem for generating and implementing breakthrough ideas that address the challenges of the new era. The focus of the upcoming discussion is strengthening Russia's trade links with countries of the Global Majority and forming alternative, pressure-resistant cooperation mechanisms.

The global economy is undergoing profound changes caused by the protectionist and sanctions policy of Western countries, which leads to the inevitable restructuring of all international trade mechanisms. As noted ahead of the event by expert of the "Investments in Connectivity" vector, Professor at Complutense University of Madrid Juan Antonio de Castro de Arespacochaga: "Global trade is becoming fragmented, fast and technological. Today, more than ever, there is an acute need to create a fundamentally new architecture — more flexible, technologically independent and resistant to external pressure."

Special attention at the convening will be paid to the role of Global South countries and the need for regulatory harmonisation. Specially to participate in the dialogue, Rupa Chanda, Director of the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division of UN ESCAP, will fly from India to Vladivostok.

"It is important to understand what role existing trade agreements can play, what lessons they provide and what preconditions are needed — for example, digital identities, common standards. The more countries conduct experiments, the higher the risk of regulatory fragmentation. Therefore, especially for Global South countries, it is important to work on regulatory convergence," emphasised Rupa Chanda, who will present a report on overcoming global trade fragmentation.

Another key speaker from India, Gulshan Sachdeva, Associate Professor at the School of International Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University, expressed expectations from the upcoming dialogue: "I look forward to meeting all the experts and hope that our dialogue will be a valuable contribution to shaping narratives concerning the rapidly changing global order."

The work of the convening will be structured around three thematic panels, where experts will analyse transformation paths in detail:

— "Institutional Restart": reforming trade mechanisms for a multi-vector economy;

— "Technological Sovereignty": innovations in supply chains, financial settlements and digital trade;

— "Strategic Opportunities": forming new centres of trade attraction and expanding investment links.

Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Head of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, will serve as moderator of the discussion.

The Open Dialogue is a flagship international platform created on Russia's initiative to form a new platform for global growth. The first forum took place in April 2025 in Moscow and brought together more than 100 delegates from 48 countries.