The Mayor of Ramsar on the BRICS+ Cities Forum: “This is an excellent development program of the economy of municipalities”

Delegations from Iran, China, India, Mexico and Kazakhstan were welcomed at Kazan airport

Foreign delegations continue to arrive in Kazan for the International Forum of Cities of the BRICS+ countries. Representatives of China, India, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Iran were solemnly met at the airport this afternoon. Two hundred delegates from 20 countries are expected at the first constituent meeting of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the BRICS+ countries, which will open tomorrow at the City Hall. They will exchange the best practices in the area of municipal management in the capital of the republic of Tatarstan.

A plane from Moscow landed in Kazan this afternoon with delegations from China, India, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Iran. They were led by Vice Mayor of Qingdao Song Mingjie, Mayor of Jaipur Somya Guryar, Secretary General of the Latin American Federation of Cities, Municipalities and Associations of Local Authorities (FLACMA) Sergio Arredondo Olvera, Deputy Akim of Astana Eset Bayken, Mayor of Ramsar Ali Aminishad and Vice Mayor of Shiraz Ali Farashayyan.

Ali Aminishad thanked the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin for the invitation to the capital of Tatarstan to participate in the forum. He noted that Ramsar is one of the tourist cities of Iran, which plays an important role in the development of the state. The municipal authorities want to continue to develop Ramsar and study international experience.

“We came to get to know other cities and start interacting more at the diplomatic level. We hope that the cities of the BRICS countries will play a big international role. I believe that the forum is an excellent development program of the economy of municipalities, which in turn will help improve the quality of life of people living in these states,”- said the Mayor of Ramsar.

Earlier, delegations from the Republic of South Africa and India arrived in Kazan, headed by President of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Beke Stofile and Mayor of Thrissur M.K. Varghese. The delegation from South Africa plans to implement exchange programs with Kazan as part of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the BRICS+ countries. For reference, the representative of South Africa was among the first to support the initiative of Ilsur Metshin to establish an Association of Cities and Municipalities of the BRICS+ countries.

The heads of associations of local authorities will take part at the first constituent meeting of the association. Among them are President of the Association of Municipalities of Brazil Ari Jose Vanazzi, Director General of the Association of Ethiopian Cities Ato Andualem Tenaw Habti, Secretary General of the Asian Forum of Mayors Hamidreza Galimzade and others. They will discuss the structure of the organization being created and joint projects.

In addition to the founding meeting of the association, the forum participants will have a rich program. Among other things, a discussion session has been announced, moderated by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Russia Today. It is 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”, an exhibition of children's drawings and other activities.