Populace of Zabaicali Region Deemed "Strays" by Regional Governor
In the heart of Eastern Siberia, the Zabaykalsky Krai region is preparing for a significant event. The upcoming "Russian Forum" in Chita, the region's largest city, has been announced by Alexander Osipov, the governor of Zabaykalsky Krai. This new forum is set to take place on the website of "Zabaykalsky Rabochy".
The census results from 2021 reveal that the Zabaykalsky Krai's population is predominantly Russian, making up 89.2% of the region's total inhabitants. The Buryat ethnic group, an indigenous people of Siberia, forms the second largest minority, accounting for 7.4% of the population. Uzbeks, another minority group, account for a mere 0.2%.
Despite the region's large Russian-speaking population, Governor Osipov has noted that events organised for them have been lacking. In acknowledging this, he stated that a significant portion of the region's population considers itself Russian.
The "Russian Forum" in Chita does not have clear objectives and tasks at present, but government agencies in the region have been tasked with developing a plan. The forum is expected to serve as a platform for discussions and the promotion of strategies to drive economic development in the Trans-Baikal region.
The upcoming "New Horizons Forum" in Chita, which is part of the Eastern Economic Forum, shares similar goals. Scheduled from June 25-27, 2025, the forum aims to discuss and promote strategies to triple the gross regional product (GRP) of Trans-Baikal by 2036 compared to 2024 levels. It also seeks to nearly quadruple investments in fixed assets over the same period.
Key sectors highlighted for growth include mining, cargo transportation and storage, and the processing industry. Mining currently accounts for almost 26% of the GRP, while cargo transportation and storage contribute 15%. The processing industry, which is growing rapidly, accounts for 26.5% of total investment, signalling a move towards deeper mineral processing and capacity expansion.
The forum will present a target economic model developed jointly with the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic and Vostokgosplan, offering realistic growth forecasts and supporting strategies. It will also function as a platform for stakeholders to coordinate and accelerate regional economic growth, maintaining the upward trajectory seen since 2018.
The "Russian Forum" in Chita and the "New Horizons Forum" are both initiatives aimed at supporting the sustainable economic transformation of the Trans-Baikal region, boosting investment inflows and developing key industries to ensure long-term prosperity. The "New Horizons Forum" is a regional component of the broader Eastern Economic Forum series, with the main jubilee event scheduled later in Vladivostok in September 2025.
[1] For more information on the Eastern Economic Forum, please visit their official website: .
- The upcoming "Russian Forum" in Chita, although without specific objectives at present, is anticipated to delve into discussions about economic development strategies in Zabaykalsky Krai, potentially addressing the lack of events for the majority Russian-speaking population in the region, thus intertwining politics, general news, and war-and-conflicts may be discussed as geopolitical dynamics often impact regional economies.
- Amidst the announced plans for the "Russian Forum" in Chita and the "New Horizons Forum," one can expect that these events will provide opportunities for politics, general news, and discourse on war-and-conflicts, as well as public policy, since they aim to foster economic growth and industry development in the Zabaykalsky Krai and Trans-Baikal region, which could have broader implications for Russia's domestic and foreign politics.
