This week Kazan will host the International BRICS+ Cities Forum

This week, Kazan will host the International Forum of Cities of the BRICS+ states, which will announce the creation of an association of cities and municipalities of the BRICS countries. Presently, about 200 people from 21 countries have confirmed their participation, including mayors and vice-mayors. Guests from 10 BRICS countries will arrive in the city, as well as representatives of local authorities from Turkey, Chile, Morocco, Indonesia, Mexico, Zambia. This was announced at the Business Monday meeting by the Vice Mayor Evgenia Lodvigova.

“The creation of the Association of Cities of the BRICS countries is our initiative, which has received support at the highest level, – said Mayor Ilsur Metshin. –  Our great experience in international associations has taught us that such organizations can be an important source of useful knowledge, an incentive to study and implement the experience of other cities.”

The leadership of Kazan previously had the opportunity to study the activities of European cities for many years as part of the work of the United Cities and Local Governments organization. Today, there is great interest in the activities of municipalities from China, India and other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“We will implement activities on the principles of equality, mutually beneficial partnership, and exceptionally respectful attitude towards each other. We hope that there will be no place for political pressure and scheming in this community. The only goal is to be useful to each other, to study best practices, to use the experience for the benefit of residents,”- Ilsur Metshin noted.

According to Evgenia Lodvigova, the constituent assembly of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the BRICS+ countries is scheduled for June 21. The meeting will discuss the structure of the organization being created and joint projects.

“It is noteworthy that the mayors of Argentine cities expressed interest in joining the association, although this country withdrew its application to join the BRICS. Our colleagues from the CIS are very active, we expect representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan,”- Evgenia Lodvigova shared. She added that the organizing committee is still receiving applications for participation.

In addition to the founding meeting of the association, the forum participants will have a busy schedule. Among other activities, a discussion session has been announced, which will be moderated by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia Today.

It is also planned to sign agreements on cooperation and twinning between cities and associations of local authorities, bilateral working meetings, a session “Cities of the Future: new dimensions”, as well as an exhibition of children's drawings.

The forum participants will bring books in their native languages with them – this will be the beginning of the creation of the library of the Association of Cities of the BRICS+ countries.

A cultural program has also been prepared for the guests of Kazan, which will introduce them to the national traditions at the Sabantuy fest, which will take place on June 23.