From July 15 to 17, the Russian delegation is in China’s Suzhou, where the World Youth Development Forum is taking place. Among participants are 2,000 young people from more than 100 countries.
The Russian delegation, headed by Egor Litvinenko, Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh, included representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate (WYFD), the Russian Union of Youth, the Movement of the First and Oleg Gazmanov's Springs national project.
The session of the Subcommittee on Cooperation in the Field of Youth Policy of the Russian-Chinese Commission for Humanitarian Cooperation was held on the sidelines of the forum. Rosmolodezh and the All-China Youth Federation discussed the implementation of the roadmap for expanding Russian-Chinese humanitarian cooperation until 2030, outlined plans for the development of joint projects, and addressed the participation of country representatives in youth initiatives by the end of the year.
Egor Litvinenko, Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh, presented key areas of youth policy and advanced profile projects in Russia, including the Rosmolodezh forum campaign, a grant competition, the #WeAreTogether volunteer movement, and year-round youth educational centers, which opened their doors to foreign youth for the first time in 2025 with the support of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
It was emphasized that Russia's youth policy is focused on preserving traditional spiritual and moral values and fostering a patriotic, ethical, and responsible generation of Russian citizens–objectives embedded in the Youth and Children national project, which was launched this year on the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Summarizing the outcomes of Russian-Chinese youth cooperation over the past year, the parties underscored its richness in activities related to moral and patriotic education and efforts to counter the falsification of history. The year 2025 holds particular significance for both countries, as it marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In this context, both sides reaffirmed their intention to continue working to preserve historical truth, pass on the memory of the heroic deeds of the victorious nations, and educate young people through the example of the courage displayed by earlier generations. Accordingly, from September 1 to 6, 2025, the Russian delegation of children and youth is scheduled to return to China as part of the Hand-in-Hand Tour of the Youth and Children's Choirs of Russia and China. The tour will be timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
The meeting also noted the strong momentum in the development of youth cooperation in entrepreneurship and creative industries.
The parties agreed to sign a cooperation deal between the Movement of the First and the All-China Youth Federation in September 2025. The Movement of the First actively engages young people aged 14–17 in major youth events, including forums, roundtables, and conferences. Last year, the Movement organized a children's program for this age group at the World Youth Festival. The Movement proposed a similar initiative at the BRICS Youth Summit in Kazan in 2024, which was supported in Brazil this year. Now, at the World Youth Development Forum in China, the Movement of the First has put forward a proposal to include youth aged 14–17 in the forum's events.
The Russian delegation invited the Chinese side to participate in the festivals, namely the Russian Student Spring and the Springs 2025, as well as events organized by the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Foreign Ministry. They confirmed their commitment to sign a memorandum of understanding between Rosmolodezh and the All-China Youth Federation on cooperation in youth policy, and also proposed the formulation of a joint action plan for 2026. Egor Litvinenko further noted that work is ongoing to preserve and build upon the legacy of the World Youth Festival. Accordingly, the main youth event of this year in Russia will be the World Youth Festival Assembly, to be held from September 17 to 21 in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 Russian and foreign young leaders. Representatives of the All-China Youth Federation were invited to participate as honorary guests. The Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh also proposed holding the next meeting of the Subcommittee within the framework of the World Youth Festival Forum.
"We express our readiness to host the sixteenth meeting of the Subcommittee in Russia in 2026. As one possible venue for the Subcommittee meeting, we propose to consider the World Youth Festival Forum, which will be held in September 2026 in Krasnoyarsk. The forum will take place as part of the efforts to preserve and enhance the legacy of the World Youth Festival, similar to this year's Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod. The forum will bring together 10,000 participants from among Russian and foreign youth. The Chinese delegation will certainly be invited to take part in the forum," said Egor Litvinenko, Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh.
On the sidelines of the World Youth Development Forum in China, the Russian delegation also held a number of meetings with representatives of Tanzania, Malaysia, Kenya, and Laos. During the bilateral talks, delegates from foreign countries demonstrated strong interest in strengthening cooperation with Russia and supported the initiative to develop a joint action plan on youth policy. For instance, representatives of Malaysia discussed the possibility of youth participation in major international events taking place in Russia and invited the Russian delegation to attend summits focused on artificial intelligence and youth entrepreneurship. The meeting participants also agreed to strengthen cooperation between the parties within the frameworks of ASEAN and BRICS. In turn, possibilities for cooperation in the field of creative industries were discussed with representatives of Kenya, particularly the development of an integrated system for fostering the creative economy. The Tanzanian delegation will provide a pool of contacts of public organizations to facilitate interaction and also expressed interest in participating in the World Youth Festival. During negotiations with representatives of Laos, proposals were supported to compile a contact list of youth and public organizations with a view to implementing joint projects.
"In an era of global change, it is young leaders who become the bridge between cultures, and the international cooperation of the Movement of the First is not merely an exchange of experience, but the creation of a unified space of opportunity for the younger generation. When children and youth from different countries come together in pursuit of common goals, they not only overcome language and cultural barriers, but also lay the foundation for a future world built on mutual understanding and respect. By expanding the horizons of international dialogue, we are opening new prospects for the development of talents, the exchange of ideas, and the creation of projects that can change the world for the better. After all, it is in the dialogue of young hearts that true unity is born—unity capable of overcoming any obstacle," said Marat Zakirov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Movement of the First.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.