Foreign twin cities and partners
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Samarkand (Republic of Uzbekistan)Expand Collapse
Photo: Khokimiyat of Samarkand region
Year of foundation: VI century BC
Population: 551,746 people (2021)
The area of the city: 123.82 km²
Time zone: GMT +5
Website: samshahar.uz
About city:
It is the third most populous city in Uzbekistan, the administrative center of the Samarkand region.
The total area of city’s territory is 123,82 km². Population as of January 1, 2023 was 573,2 thousand people. The city is located at about 720 meters above the sea level. The historical center of the city is the Registan Square.
In 2001 city and its historical architectural and archaeological sites were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name "Samarkand — the crossroads of cultures".
According to archaeological data, Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded in the middle of the VIII century BC (Ancient Marakanda), the capital of the Timurid state, became the first capital of Soviet Uzbekistan in 1924. For more than 2 millennia the city was a key point on the Great Silk Road between China and Europe and also was one of the main centers of science in the Medieval East.
Samarkand is the oldest city in Uzbekistan, which turned 2,756 years old in 2023.
Joint activities, contacts:
The delegation of Kazan represented by Daria Sannikova, the Director of the Committee for Tourism Development, participated in celebrations in Samarkand during the 25th session of the UNTWTO on October 17-20, 2023. The business visit in Samarkand took place thanks to invitation of the Khokimiyat of the city and assisted by Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Kazan.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan is also located in Kazan since June 13, 2019. Our parties actively participate in bilateral informational tours. Every year banner exchange between parties is held, which contributes to the development of the tourist potential of cities Kazan and Samarkand.
In October 2023, as part of the implementation of the agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of tourism, regular passenger flights on the Kazan – Samarkand – Kazan route were launched. Also, on November 15, 2023, banners were installed in Samarkand with an invitation to visit the city of Kazan. Advertising structures were installed on two streets of the Uzbek city.
In 2023, a video message congratulating the City Day of Samarkand on behalf of the Deputy Head of the municipality Evgeniya Lodvigova was posted in the information sources of the Khokimiyat of Samarkand.
On May 13-17, 2024, as part of the forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024”, an information tour of the delegation from Uzbekistan took place. A round table was organized at the site with the participation of the Uzbek delegation and tour operators of the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, at which a presentation of the tourism potential of Kazan, Samarkand, Tashkent and Bukhara, and tourism projects aimed at attracting guests took place. The result of the round table was the signing of an Action Plan for the implementation of the Agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of tourism between the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan, represented by Director Daria Sannikova, and the khokimiyat of Samarkand for 2024-2025, represented by the deputy khokim of the city for investments, foreign trade and tourism Erkinjon Radjabov.
On June 21-23, 2024, a delegation from Samarkand headed by Fazliddin Umarov, Khokim of Samarkand, visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities.
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Sukhum (Republic of Abkhazia)Expand CollapseOn February 6-8, 2025, architects from Sukhum visited Kazan to participate in the international architectural and construction forum «Kazanysh». Svetlana Shamenkova, chief architect of Sukhum, took part in the first meeting of the Architecture and Urban Development Committee of the Association of BRICS+ Cities and Municipalities, an association of chief architects of BRICS+ cities.
Photo: Official portal of Administration of Sukhum
Documents: Agreement on Mutual Cooperation in the Field of Tourism between the “Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan” and the “Argo-Invest” Municipal Enterprise of the Administration of Sukhum (2022), Sister Cities Relations Agreement between the City of Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation) and the City of Sukhum (Republic of Abkhazia) (2023)
Year of foundation: VI century BC
Population: 65,500 (2020)
Area of the city: 21 km2
Time zone: GMT +3
Website: https://www.sukhumcity.ru/
About the city:
Sukhum is the capital of the Republic of Abkhazia and an ancient city, which is located on the Black Sea coast. Back in the VI century BC, an ancient Greek colony appeared on the territory of the city.
As the city with a rich history, Sukhum has preserved the sights of antiquity. These are the ruins of the ancient Sukhumi fortress, the castle of Tsar Bagrat, the Besletsky Bridge, the ruins of the Kelasur Monastery and the Great Abkhazian Wall. The Great Abkhazian Wall is the third largest fortification construction in the world after the Great Wall of China and the Great Wall of Gorgan in Iran.
There is a Botanical Garden in the center of the city, it is a museum of subtropical culture, the demonstration part of which reaches 5 hectares. The Sukhumi Monkey Nursery is very popular among tourists.
Joint events, contacts:
Sukhum has been a member of USLG since 2017.
Representatives of the city of Sukhum supported Kazan in Durban (South Africa) in November 2019 at the election of the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin as the President of the United Nations Advisory Committee of Local Authorities (UNACLA).
On 23 September 2020, Deputy Head of the Sukhum City Administration Leon Kvarchiya delivered a report "Traffic Management System" at the Round Table of Mayors at the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2020.
On 17 December 2022 at the Embassy of the Republic of Abkhazia in Moscow, Kazan and Sukhum signed an agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of tourism between the Kazan Tourism Development Committee and Argo-Invest MUE of the Sukhum city administration.
On 13-16 March 2023, a delegation from the city of Sukhum visited Kazan with the participation of the Head of the Administration of the capital of Abkhazia, Beslan Eshba. Within the framework of the visit, a twinning agreement was signed between the city of Kazan and the city of Sukhum.
The Sukhum delegation headed by the Deputy Head of the Sukhum City Administration Leon Kvarchiya took part in the Eurasian training "Eurasian Cities and Global Trends" held in Kazan on 25-26 May 2023, as well as in the meeting of the Executive Council of the Asian Mayors Forum held in Kazan within the framework of the training.
On July 7-9, 2023, an official visit of the Kazan delegation to Sukhum took place on the occasion of Sukhum City Day.
A team of chess players from Sukhum participated in a chess tournament within the framework of the event "United Cities Forum (UCF)", which was held on 7-8 September 2023 in Kazan within the framework of the International Forum "SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation".
The delegation of Sukhum participated in the International Architectural and Construction Forum "Kazanysh", which was held on 5-7 December 2023 in Kazan.
In December 2023, within the framework of the implementation of the agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of tourism in Sukhum, banners with an invitation to visit the city of Kazan were installed.
On February 26, 2024, Kazan and Sukhum signed a plan of joint activities for 2024.
On June 17, 2024, a delegation of the Sukhumi City Assembly visited Kazan for the purpose of interaction between the representative authorities of Kazan and Sukhum and the exchange of experience. As part of the visit, a meeting was held with the Secretary of the Kazan City Duma Albina Rafikova.
On July 6, 2024, a delegation from Kazan led by the head of the International Relations Department, Arseny Karyakin, took part in the celebration of Sukhum City Day.
On February 13, 2025, the First Deputy Mayor of Kazan Denis Kalinkin visited Sukhum on a one-day working visit to discuss cooperation in the field of improvement and mutual support.
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Xi'an (People's Republic of China)Expand CollapseThe delegation of the city of Xi'an, led by the Chairman of the People's Political Consultative Council of Xi'an, Wang Jingde, took part in the II International Forum "SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation", which was held on November 14-15, 2024 in Kazan.
Photo: xa.gov.cn
Year of foundation: 687 B.C.
Population: 7.2 million people (2021)
City area: 1,088 km2
Time Zone: GMT +8
Website: http://www.xa.gov.cn/
About the city:
Xi'an is a city located in Shaanxi Province of China, which has been the capital of China in different historical periods. The city has been around for more than 3,100 years and for some time was the largest (both in area and number of inhabitants) city in the world. Xi'an is one of the most significant historical and cultural centers of China. The mound tombs of ancient China, including the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the Terracotta Army, are located around the city and are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Xi'an is a city of contrasts, where modernity meets ancient traditions and rich Chinese culture, and ancient history is closely intertwined with the achievements of world civilization.
Xian is an important center of culture, education and industry. The largest memory chip factory of Samsung China Semiconductor is located here. There are many educational institutions and business centers in Xi'an, the largest aircraft manufacturing center in China operates here.
Joint events, contacts:
From June 20 to 22, 2019, a delegation from Xi'an led by Mr. Cao Yanping, head of the Twin Cities and Exchanges Division of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Xi'an People's Government, visited Kazan to participate in the Board Meeting of the League of Historic Cities.
From September 8 to 13, 2019, a delegation of the city of Kazan visited Xi'an. The Eurasian Economic Forum 2019 was held in Xi'an, the capital of Shanxi Province of China.
On October 23, 2019, a protocol of intent to establish friendly relations was signed between Kazan and the Chinese city of Xi'an in the Kazan City Hall.
On September 23, 2020, Mr. Xu Mingfei, Vice-Mayor of Xi'an, made a report "Innovative Urban Transport Solutions of Xi'an" at the Round Table of Mayors Smart City within the international forum Kazan Digital Week-2020 in online format, also the Director of International Relations of Xi'an. Mr. Qiang Sheng, Deputy Director of the Department of International Relations of Xi'an, Ms. Li Xiaoyan, and Mr. Shi Qi, Deputy Director of the Friendship Center with Foreign Cities of the Department of International Relations of Xi'an participated as listeners.
On October 19-20, 2020, Mr. Wang Yong, Vice Mayor of Xi'an with a plenary session report and Mr. Ren Yutan, Head of the Interaction and Cooperation Department of the Xi'an Municipal Development and Reform Commission with a report on Goal 11 "Ensure openness, safety, resilience and environmental sustainability of cities and human settlements" attended the BRICS 2020 Twin Cities Forum held in Kazan.
From June, 24th till June, 26th, 2021 representatives of Xi'an took part in the 17th World conference of historical cities "Historical and cultural heritage as a basis of national-cultural and local identity" which was held in Kazan.
In October 2021, Kazan schoolchildren aged 9 to 15 took part in the international drawing exhibition The World in My Eyes "Traditions of the Peoples of the World" in Xi'an. The competition was held among the residents of the twin cities of Xi'an.
In 2022, the Xi'an Municipal Government organized online Chinese language courses for Kazan City Hall staff.
Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin welcomed the Mayor of Xi'an at the World Congress UCLG on October 10-14, 2022 in Daejeon.
The Xi'an delegation took part in the International Architectural and Construction Forum "Kazanysh", which was held on December 5-7,2023 in Kazan. Wang Zhewen, Deputy Head of the Xi'an City Wall Management Committee, made a report at the Round Table on "Preserving Identity: Experience of Different Countries and Cities".
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Istanbul (Republic of Turkey)Expand CollapseYear of foundation: 667 BC
Area: 5343 km2
Population: 15.67 million (2019)
Time zone: GMT +3
Website: http://en.istanbul.gov.tr/
About the city:
Istanbul (until 1930 Constantinople) is the largest city in Turkey and its main port. It is located in the north-west of the country on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black and Marmara Seas. Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located in two parts of the world at once - Europe and Asia. This is an ancient metropolis, which throughout its history has been the capital of three great empires: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. Currently, Istanbul is the largest cultural and financial center of Turkey. Istanbul is also one of the five most visited cities in the world.
Joint events, contacts:
When the Eurasian branch of the Organization of World Heritage Cities was formed with its center in Kazan in 2003, Istanbul became the first city to support the initiative of the capital of Tatarstan.
In 2011, the park named after Gabdulla Tuqay was opened in Istanbul.
Istanbul supported Kazan at the stage of the bid company for the Universiade.
In 2013, the Istanbul Square was opened in Kazan.
The celebration of the Tatar national holiday Sabantuy is being held in Istanbul.
Sports festivals and competitions are held together with Istanbul.
On January 28, 2014, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin met with a delegation of the Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB) at the Kazan City Hall, where prospects for further cooperation between Istanbul and Kazan were discussed.
On June 21, 2014, the Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbaş arrived in Kazan on a visit, during which he held working meetings and visited Sabantuy.
On March 25-26, 2015, a delegation of Istanbul headed by the Mayor of the city Kadir Topbaş visited Kazan. The delegation took part in the meeting of the Eurasian Regional Branch of the UCLG.
On May 28, 2016, representatives of the delegation of the World Organization “United Cities and Local Authorities”, including the President of the organization, Mayor of Istanbul Kadir Topbash, became the guests of honor of the Sabantuy holiday in Kazan.
As part of the promotion of Kazan on the international tourism market in 2018, information booklets about the city in Turkish were developed. They were subsequently sent to the tourist centers of the Turkish twin cities, including Istanbul.
On May 15-16, 2019, a delegation of Tatarstan headed by President Rustam Minnikhanov visited the Republic of Turkey. During the visit, the delegation visited the city of Istanbul, where meetings were held with the leadership of the Turkish provinces and representatives of local businesses, as well as a number of enterprises were inspected.
On September 23, 2019, a delegation of the Union of Turkish World Municipalities visited the Republic of Tatarstan. The Mayor of Istanbul also took part in the delegation. Within the framework of the trip, on September 23-25, the delegation members met with representatives of the municipal community of Tatarstan, visited the facilities of the city of Kazan, Nizhnekamsk district, Spassky district of the city of Bulgar.
In 2019, a week of Turkish cinema was held in Kazan.
In May 2020, a video message was received from Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on the formation of the TASSR.
On September 23, 2020, Erol Ozgyuner, Head of the Information Department of the Istanbul City Hall, took part in the meeting of the Mayors’ Round Table «Smart City» within the framework of the Kazan Digital Week-2020 (as a listener).
From June 24 to June 26, 2021, representatives of Istanbul took part in the 17th World Conference of Historical Cities «Historical and Cultural heritage as the basis of national, cultural and local identity», which was held in Kazan.
On September 15, 2021, Head of the Republic Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin met with Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish company «Polymex» Erol Tabanca. Polimex is a Turkish construction holding company headquartered in Istanbul.
On September 21, 2021, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu took part in the Mayors’ Round Table «Evolution of Smart Cities» within the framework of the international forum Kazan Digital Week-2021.
On September 21, 2022, the Mayor of Kazan, Ilsur Metshin, met with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish company Polymex, Erol Tabanсa.
On September 22, 2022, an exhibition of the famous Turkish artist Yalçın Gökçebağ, whose workshop is located in Istanbul, opened in the Hazine Gallery in Kazan.
On October 3, 2022, the Deputy Head of the Kazan Municipality Evgenia Lodvigova visited Istanbul to meet and negotiate with representatives of the UN-Habitat organization.
On May 25-26, 2023, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General Dr. Mehmet Duman personally participated in the Eurasian training «Cities of Eurasia and Global Trends», which was held in Kazan.
The tourism potential of Kazan was presented at the international exhibition ITF, which was held on October 4-5, 2023 in Istanbul.
On the night of August 17-18, 2024, participants from Istanbul took part in the "Night Bikefest" in Kazan.On February 6-8, 2025, a delegation from Istanbul visited Kazan to participate in the international architectural and construction forum «Kazanysh». Gürkan Akgün, Deputy Secretary General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, delivered a speech at the plenary session: «Vigorous Cities: Unity of Diversity». Ramazan Gülten, Development Director of Istanbul Municipality (IBB), Head of Planning and Urbanization Department, spoke at the first meeting of the Architecture and Urban Development Committee of the Association of BRICS+ Cities and Municipalities, an association of chief architects of BRICS+ cities.
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Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan)Expand CollapseOn May 13-17, 2024, as part of the forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024”, an information tour of the delegation from Uzbekistan took place. A round table was organized at the site with the participation of the Uzbek delegation and tour operators of the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, at which a presentation of the tourism potential of Kazan, Samarkand, Tashkent and Bukhara, and tourism projects aimed at attracting guests took place.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Document: Treaty of Friendship and Partnership (1998)
Year of foundation: 200 B.C.
Population: 2.6 million (2020)
Area: 334 km² (2021)
Time zone: GMT +5
Website: https://tashkent.uz/
About the city:
Tashkent is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia. The leading industry is mechanical engineering, Tashkent tractor plant and Tashkent locomotive repair plant operate in the city. There are plants of electronic equipment: "Photon", "Sputnik", "Mikond".
Joint events, contacts:
From November 15 to 18, 2018, a delegation of the Tashkent Khokimiyat, headed by First Deputy Khokim of Tashkent Davron Khidoyatov, visited Kazan. Working meetings were arranged and held to study the experience of OOO Managing Company Uyutny Dom, OAO Kazenergo, OOO PZHKH and MUP STN; a presentation was held of the utilities accounting automation and dispatching program, the Open Kazan system, waste control and accounting, the Safe City project and the burial records of the Ritual Services. The meeting was held at the Kazan City Hall by Iskander Giniatullin, Deputy Head of the Kazan City Executive Committee.
On February 21, 2019, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan Achilbay Ramatov met at the Kazan Kremlin.
On April 1, 2019, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin met with the Consul General of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Kazan. Deputy Mayor of Kazan Evgeniya Lodvigova took part in the meeting. The parties discussed prospects for further cooperation between Kazan and Uzbekistan.
On June 13, 2019, the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held in Kazan. President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation Botirzhon Asadov and Consul General of Uzbekistan in Kazan Faraddin Nasriev took part in the event.
On November 15, 2019, a meeting with a delegation from the Tashkent Khokimiyat was held at the Kazan City Hall. The guests were told about digitalization in the sphere of housing and communal services of the capital of Tatarstan and the projects that are implemented in the city in this direction.
On November 27, 2019, the delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan headed by Rustam Minnikhanov paid a two-day visit to Tashkent.
On September 23, 2020, Deputy Khokim of Tashkent on Introduction of Information Technologies Sardor Abdullaev took part in the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2020 and made a report (on the topic "Foreign experience of innovative development of transport infrastructure") at the Mayors’ Round Table "Smart City".
In January 2021, the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Kazan received a request from the Hokimiyat of Tashkent to exchange video clips in the field of tourism.
In May 2021, a delegation from Uzbekistan visited Kazan on a working visit. Tashkent Hokim Jahongir Artickhojaev, Minister of Housing and Communal Services of Uzbekistan Sherzod Khidoyatov and Tashkent region Khokim Davron Khidoyatov met with Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin and discussed cooperation prospects.
In March 2022, the Kazan Tourism Development Committee established a constructive dialogue on video exchange with the Tashkent Tourism Development Department. This initiative will help the residents of the cities to get to know each other better, and will also contribute to the development of tourism.
In the framework of the XIV International Economic Forum "Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum" held on May 18-20, 2023, a delegation of the Tashkent City Khokimiyat headed by Deputy Khokim of Tashkent Aleksey Khen (6 people) made a working visit to Kazan. The guests familiarized themselves with the objects of housing and communal services, as well as with the experience of Kazan in the field of information technology.
In May 2023, the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur.Metshin as part of the delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan headed by the Head of the Rais Administration Asgat Safarov visited Uzbekistan and met with the Acting Khokim of Tashkent Shavkat Umurzakov, who spoke about the activities of citizens' self-governing bodies, in particular, mahallas - a unique local institution.
On September 18 - 22, 2023, a delegation from the Khokimiyat of Tashkent visited Kazan. During the visit, guests from Uzbekistan familiarized themselves with the best practices of Kazan in the field of landscaping, housing and utilities, transportation and digital development of the city. On September 21, a working meeting with representatives of the Kazan Executive Committee was held in Kazan City Hall and a memorandum of understanding was signed between Toshkent Shahar Suvta'minoti LLC of Tashkent and municipal unitary enterprise Vodokanal of Kazan. The document envisages exchange of technical and technological experience in water supply and sanitation, knowledge and achievements, ensuring sustainable development of partnership relations between the signatory institutions.
On September 20, 2023, the head of the delegation Acting Deputy Khokim of Tashkent city Shohruh Rakhimjanov made a report at the Round Table of Mayors "Artificial Intelligence in city management" within the framework of the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2023.
In the period from October 3 to 6, 2023 within the framework of the III Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan, the delegation of the Tashkent Khokimiyat headed by Khokim Shavkat Umurzakov visited Kazan. On October 4, within the framework of this visit, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin met with the delegation in Kazan City Hall and discussed with Tashkent Khokim Umurzakov cooperation in different spheres of urban economy. The guests familiarized themselves with the work of the Executive Committee of Kazan in the field of landscaping, public transportation, school meals and outdoor advertising.
In the period from May 15 to 18, 2024, a delegation of the city of Tashkent, headed by the Deputy Khokim of Tashkent Durdona Rakhimova, visited Kazan to exchange experience in the field of education and the organization of healthy nutrition in schools. On May 16, guests took part in a round table, which was chaired by Guzel Sagitova, Deputy Head of the Kazan Executive Committee, in charge of social issues.
On June 21-23, 2024, a delegation from Tashkent headed by Aleksey Khen, Deputy Khokim of Tashkent city for the Introduction of information technologies - Head of the digital development department, visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities.
On September, 9, 2024 Deputy Khokim of Tashkent city for the Introduction of information technologies - Head of the digital development department Aleksey Khen made a report at the Cities' Round Table «Modern Urban Services» in an online format within the framework of the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2024.
On November 21-23, 2024, representatives of the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan took part in the International tourism exhibition “Tourism on the Silk Road” in Tashkent with the aim of presenting the tourism potential of Kazan on the international market.
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Daejeon (Republic of Korea)Expand Collapse
Photo: common.wikimedia.org
Document: Memorandum of Understanding (2017)
Year founded: 1905
Population: 1.5 million (2018)
Area of the city: 539.84 km²
Time zone: GMT +9
Website: https://www.daejeon.go.kr/dre/index.do
About the city:
Daejeon is a city in the center of South Korea and the administrative center of Chungcheongnam-do Province. Daejeon occupies an important place in the country's economy. A large number of enterprises, firms and companies, modern medical and scientific centers, and 18 universities are concentrated here. Daejeon has received the title of “Korea's Silicon Valley”. Research centers of Samsung, LG and other technological giants of the country are opened here.
Joint activities, contacts:
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the 14th World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities by Deputy Head of Kazan Evgeniya Lodvigova and Vice-Mayor of Daejeon Jean-Gwan Lee.
On July 2, 2019, a meeting between the Vice-Mayor of Kazan and the Vice-Mayor of Daejeon took place at the Kazan City Hall. The parties discussed possible aspects of cooperation as well as the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress.
The delegation of Kazan led by the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin visited Daejeon as part of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress on October 10-14, 2022.
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Tlemcen (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria)Expand Collapse
Photo: flickr.com/photos/habibkaki
Document: Partnership Development Agreement (2011)
Year of foundation: 300
Population: 672 thousand people (2021)
City area: 9061 km
Time zone: GMT +1
About the city:
Tlemcen, located in northwestern Algeria, is called the «pearl of the Maghreb». The Romans founded it in the IV century as a military fortification. Tlemcen is a center of handicrafts (carpet making), textile and leather industries, and grapes and olives are also grown in the city. Officially, 45 structures of Tlemcen belong to the national architectural monuments.
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Tabriz (Islamic Republic of Iran)Expand CollapseOn April 22, 2025, in Moscow, as part of the forum “Small Homeland - the Power of Russia", a panel session on the topic "Prospects for the Development of International Cooperation of BRICS Cities" was held, moderated by the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin. It was attended by the Mayor of Tabriz Yaghoub Houshyar and the Mayor of the Third District of Tabriz Arman Aminbakhsh.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Document: Memorandum of twinning (2009)
Year of foundation: 714 BC.
Population: 1.3 million (2019)
Area: 1781 km² (2020)
Time zone: GMT +3.3
Website: http://tabriz.ir/
About the city:
Tabriz is the administrative center of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan, located in the north-west of the country. Historically, Tabriz was a major trading center. Tabriz Bazaar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is the second most important industrial center in Iran. The city has an oil refinery, a chemical plant and a cement factory. It has well developed light and textile industries and a carpet spinning factory. Tabriz carpets were woven for the needs of the Shah's Court and were famous throughout the world.
Joint activities, contacts:
A Memorandum of Friendship and Cooperation was concluded between Kazan and Tabriz in 2002. In January 2009, a Memorandum of Twinning and Partnership was signed.
On 10 March 2014 a delegation led by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov paid a working visit to Tabriz. According to the programme of the visit, the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin discussed the development of cooperation in the construction of sports facilities, as well as in the exchange of students.
In 2015, the Mayor of Tabriz, Iran, Sadegh Najafi, visited Tatarstan to attend the opening of Tabriz Culture Week in Kazan.
In 2015, a representative of the Executive Committee of Kazan took part in a working visit to Tabriz as part of the delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan led by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov.
In 2017, an official delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran visited Kazan, led by Tabriz Mayor Sadegh Najafi, who donated items of decorative and applied art to Kazan (to the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan). During the visit, the parties discussed the prospects for cooperation and the improvement of green areas in the capital of Tatarstan and the Iranian city.
In 2017, the square in the Moscow district of Kazan was named Tabriz.
In 2018, a park named Kazan was created in Tabriz.
On June 29, 2022, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov held an online meeting with the Governor of the province of East Azerbaijan of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Zein ol-Abedin Razavi Khorram. The meeting was also attended by the head of the Executive Committee of Kazan, Rustem Gafarov, and the Mayor of Tabriz, Yaghoub Houshyar. The parties discussed the prospects of cooperation.
In December 2023, the Mayor of Tabriz, Yaghoub Houshyar, and the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Tabriz for Planning and Human Capital, Mahbub Tizpazniari, took part in the Architectural and Construction Forum «Kazanysh», which was held on December 5-7 in Kazan. As part of the event, the guests met with the Director of the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan, Daria Sannikova, to discuss cooperation in in the field of tourism.
On June 21-23, 2024, a delegation from Tabriz headed by Yaghoub Houshyar, the Mayor of Tabriz, visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities.
On September, 9, 2024, the Mayor of Tabriz Yaghoub Houshyar made a video address at the Cities' Round Table «Modern Urban Services» within the framework of the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2024.
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Urbino (Italian Republic)Expand Collapse
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Document: Mutual Cooperation Agreement (2001)
Year of foundation: 300 B.C.
Population: 15,000 (2021)
Area: 226 km² (2020)
Time Zone: GMT +1
Website: http://www.comune.urbino.ps.it/
About city:
Urbino is an ancient city in eastern Italy, a historical, cultural and educational center. Known as the birthplace of Raphael Santi. During the Renaissance, Urbino was called the "Ideal City" because it represented a harmony of beauty and intelligent organization of space.
The historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" was founded in 1506 as one of the first in Europe. With several quite significant universities and language schools opened in the city, about half of the city's population are students.
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Harbin (People's Republic of China)Expand Collapse
Photo: Harbin Municipality
Year of foundation: 1898
Population: 9.82 million (2023)
City area: 53.1 thousand km²
Time zone: GMT+8
Website: https://www.harbin.gov.cn/haerbin/c104447/s_index.shtml
About the city:
Harbin is the administrative center of Heilongjiang Province, located in the middle reaches of the Sungari River on the Sunliao Plain. The development of the city is connected with its historical role as the center of the railway network of Northeast China, connected to the Trans-Siberian Railway. The first inhabitants of the city were builders and employees of the Chinese Eastern Railway. In this regard, Harbin has preserved many Russian buildings, including the majestic Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sophia with green domes.
Harbin is known for its unique beauty, extraordinary architecture and atmosphere. It attracts lovers of winter tourism, and the annual International Ice and Snow Festival, held since 1963, makes the city doubly attractive to tourists fr om all over the world. Every year artists from different countries transform more than a hundred thousand cubic meters of ice and the same number of snow into a magical winter city. Harbin is called the «Ice City» for its extraordinary landscapes, beautiful neighborhoods and snowy winters.
Joint activities, contacts:
On 13-18 June, 2006, the official delegation from Kazan visited Harbin, during which a Memorandum of Cooperation between the cities of Harbin and Kazan was signed.
In February 2009, the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, as part of a delegation from the Republic of Tatarstan, visited Harbin and took part in the opening ceremony of the 2009 World Winter Universiade.
In May 2015, series of meetings were held to attract students and pupils of educational institutions of Harbin to study the Russian language. Several meetings were held between Kazan Federal University (KFU) representatives and students from two schools to attract students to attend the Bachelor's program in the Russian language. This included meetings with students from the Russian language departments of Harbin University and Heilongjiang University of Science and Technology. There were made presentations about KFU.
On 5-6 September, 2016, an official visit of the Harbin delegation to Kazan led by the Mayor of Harbin, Mr. Song Xibin, took place. During the visit, the delegation met with the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin and discussed issues of mutually beneficial cooperation.
On July 9, 2018, a meeting between the Deputy Head of the Kazan Municipality Lyudmila Andreeva and the First Secretary of the City Committee of the Communist Party of China, Mr. Wang Zhaoli was held at the Kazan City Hall. The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Foreign Affairs Office of Harbin Mr. Gao Huimin, Head of the commercial department Mr. Ji Pin, Head of the science and technology department Mr. Li Zhijie, Head of the culture, radio and television broadcasting and press department Gou Qingjie, the Consul General of China in Kazan Mr. Wu Yingqin, Consul of the Consulate General of China in Kazan Mr. Tian Zhi. Presentation of Kazan were made by Deputy Heads of the Kazan Executive Committee Ildar Shakirov and Radik Shafigullin, Head of the Culture Department of the Kazan Executive Committee Azat Abzalov. The parties discussed possibilities of cooperation between Kazan and Harbin in the field of economics and culture.
On July 13, 2018, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Governor of China's Heilongjiang Province Wang Wentao signed an agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between the regions in the Kazan Kremlin.
The visit of the Tatarstan delegation, timed to coincide with the VI Russian-Chinese EXPO-2019, took place on June 15-19, 2019. The Action Plan to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and the People's Government of Heilongjiang Province on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation was signed in the International Exhibition and Convention Centre of Harbin. Rich program of the visit included various official and business events such as the meeting of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan with the Governor of Heilongjiang Province Wang Wentao, participation of the Tatarstan delegation in the Business Forum «Tatarstan-Heilongjiang» and visiting the exposition of the VI Russian-Chinese EXPO 2019. The delegation of the Republic of Tatarstan headed by President Rustam Minnikhanov opened the Days of Economy and Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan within the framework of the working visit to the city of Harbin of the People's Republic of China.
On September 25, 2019, the Kazan Executive Committee welcomed a delegation from Harbin. The meeting was attended by Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the capital of Tatarstan Radik Shafigullin, Chairman of the Tourism Development Committee Darya Sannikova and Acting Chairman of the Economic Development Committee Guzel Mingazova. The Chinese delegation included Zhang Wangping, Deputy Mayor of the People's Government of Harbin, Sha Xiaodong, Deputy Head of the Department of Tourism, Broadcasting, Television and Culture, Li Yanan, Deputy Head of the Department of Commerce, Liu Zhengjiang, Chairman of the Administration of Harbin Comprehensive Duty-Free Zone, Ji Yuijia, Head of the Europe and Asia Department of the Foreign Affairs Department of the People's Government of Harbin, and others. The Chinese side expressed its willingness to exchange experience in culture, tourism and education.
In 2021, Kazan and Harbin held an online conference on cooperation between the two cities to exchange experience on coronavirus prevention.
On 6 January 2022, representatives of Kazan participated in the Forum on Strengthening Cooperation between Harbin and the Sister Cities as listeners in an online format.
Harbin representatives took part in the United Cities Forum (UCF) held in Kazan on September 7-8, 2023, within the framework of the International Forum «SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation». Mr. Jiang Chuanhai, Vice-Mayor of Harbin, and Cao Ru, director of the Foreign Affairs Office, spoke on «Preservation of Historical Heritage as the Basis of the City's Identity» at the Plenary Session of the Forum. During the event the Harbin delegation headed by Mr. Jiang Chuanhai, Deputy Mayor of Harbin, met with Deputy Mayor of Kazan Evgeniya Lodvigova, wh ere the parties signed the Protocol of the meeting between the representatives of Kazan and Harbin and agreed to develop friendship and mutual understanding between Russian Federation and China.
A delegation from Harbin participated in the International Architectural and Construction Forum «Kazanysh», which was held on December 5-7, 2023 in Kazan. Ms. Chen Jianfei, Chief Architect of Harbin, Director of the Architectural Construction and Research Institute at Harbin Polytechnic University, dedicated her speech to identity as the most important resource for the development of modern cities. During the forum delegates from Harbin participated in discussions and presentations. In addition to active participation in the forum, the delegation from China visited a number of interesting architectural sites and major attractions of Kazan, such as the Kul Sharif Mosque, the Cathedral of Annunciation of the Kazan Kremlin, the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the Palace of Farmers and the Family Center «Kazan», the City Museum «Panorama» and the House Museum of Vladimir Lenin. The delegates' program included a tour in Kazan State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and a meeting with First Deputy Director of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan Insaf Galiev.
On May 16-20, 2024, the Kazan delegation headed by Deputy Head of the Kazan Executive Committee Ildar Shakirov visited the city of Harbin (PRC). As part of the trip, representatives of the Kazan City Hall took part in the Conference on interaction and development of cooperation between Harbin, Shenzhen and the cities of the Russian Federation and visited Pavilion VIII of the Russian-Chinese EXPO. The trip ended with an official meeting of the delegation of the city of Kazan with the leadership of the city of Harbin represented by the Deputy Mayor of the People's Government of the city of Harbin Tan Lewei, the deputy head of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the People's Government of the city of Harbin Wang Ning, and the Deputy Head of the Department of Commerce of the city of Harbin Liu Ming. The parties discussed key areas of cooperation between the cities of Harbin and Kazan.
On June 21-23, 2024, a delegation from Harbin headed by Ms. Wang Ning, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Harbin Municipality, visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities.
On February 6-8, 2025, a delegation from Harbin visited Kazan to participate in the international architectural and construction forum «Kazanysh». Song Liwei, Deputy Head of the Harbin Department of Natural Resources and Urban Planning, made a report at the first meeting of the Architecture and Urban Development Committee of the Association of BRICS+ Cities and Municipalities, the association of chief architects of BRICS+ cities, and at the round table discussion: «Cities on the water. User stories that bring urban residents "on the water"».
