Ilsur Metshin: “It is important to share best practices. No single mayor knows everything”

Kazan Mayor addressed the plenary session of the 6th International Municipal Forum of the BRICS countries

The forum, which attracted 5,000 delegates from 126 countries and all regions of Russia, began today in Moscow. Representatives of municipal authorities and business communities came to Moscow to exchange experiences and share ideas. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, gave a welcome speech at the opening plenary session, where he spoke about the Association of Cities and Municipalities of BRICS+ countries. He invited the participants to attend the BRICS Summit, which will take place in the capital of Tatarstan in October.

Representatives of federal and regional authorities, local government leaders, and city mayors who share the vision of BRICS unity will discuss at the forum issues related to training of personnel, implementation of humanitarian programs, modernization of housing, transportation, and social infrastructure, development of projects in architecture and landscape design, and improvement of the environment.

“It is important to share best practices. No single mayor knows everything. We all face similar challenges, and we need to save time and resources by finding the best approaches. This forum is a great platform for exchanging experiences,”- Ilsur Metshin noted.

The Mayor spoke about the Association of Cities and Municipalities of BRICS+ countries, which promotes inter-municipal cooperation as well. He noted that the idea for creating the association arose when Kazan was chosen to host the BRICS summit. With the support of Russian leadership, the Association was established in June. According to Ilsur Metshin, the inaugural meeting attracted more than 200 mayors, deputy mayors, and leaders of municipal associations representing 2.6 billion people. They shared their visions for working within the association.

The capital of Tatarstan has been promoting inter-municipal cooperation for 25 years, and the BRICS association helps Kazan and other cities in this. As an example, Ilsur Metshin spoke about the Kazanysh International Architectural and Construction Forum, which gathered more than 200 speakers from Russia and the BRICS countries: “We got the best Chinese, Turkish, Argentine, Brazilian architects at this event. We couldn't even dream about it.” Soon, experts and prominent writers, poets and literary critics will come to Kazan at the BRICS Literary Forum. “Cultural exchange and new opportunities will benefit the residents,”- the Mayor stressed.

In conclusion, Kazan Mayor reminded that in October, the city will host the BRICS summit. In three days, Kazan will welcome 20,000 participants, including journalists, experts, and volunteers. The summit will become a major event during the Russia's presidency of BRICS, and preparations are underway to welcome guests.

Ilsur Metshin invited forum participants to attend the upcoming event. “We are expecting 33 delegations, including heads of state, as well as five heads of international organizations,”- he said. “There is a lot of work ahead, but we are confident we can manage it. We would love to see you before, during, and after the summit."

The BRICS International Municipal Forum will take place on August 27-28 at the Expocentre. More than 70 speakers will participate at the event, and around 50,000 people will follow it online. The program will include more than 70 different events.