Moscow and Harbin agree to develop interparliamentary ties

A meeting between representatives of the Moscow City Duma and a delegation from China led by Lin Yanqiu, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Harbin Municipal People's Congress, was held at the Moscow Parliamentary Centre. The parties discussed deepening interparliamentary cooperation, exchanging experience in the field of urban management and participating in BRICS capital city initiatives.

Moscow City Duma Chairman Aleksey Shaposhnikov noted that Russian-Chinese relations are developing dynamically, especially in the areas of economics, infrastructure and digital technologies. He emphasised the strategic role of Harbin as one of the key cities for cooperation with Russia and recalled the cooperation programme between Moscow and Harbin signed in 2023, which is valid until 2026.

"In recent years, trade turnover between Heilongjiang Province and the Russian Federation has been growing steadily by more than 10 per cent annually. Russia is the province's largest trading partner: trade with the Russian Federation accounts for about 75 per cent of the province's foreign trade turnover," he said.

Shaposhnikov also invited the Chinese delegation to the BRICS International Municipal Forum, which will be held on 29-31 October in St. Petersburg. According to him, this will contribute to the expansion of ties and the exchange of best practices in the field of urban management.

The Chinese side expressed gratitude for the warm welcome. Lin Yanqiu emphasised that Harbin is actively implementing the agreements reached at the highest level and is ready to strengthen inter-municipal contacts with Moscow.

"We hope to strengthen ties and cooperation between the legislative bodies of Moscow and Harbin to achieve new results," she said.

Igor Tkach, Deputy head of the Russian capital's international relations department, also noted the growing economic partnership. He said that China remains Moscow's largest trading partner, with trade turnover reaching US$105 billion in 2024.

TV BRICS has been cooperating with the Moscow City Duma since 2024. The partners are working together to develop Moscow's ties with other cities in the BRICS countries.

Photo: Moscow City Duma