Moscow to present best urban development practices at International Municipal BRICS Forum

From 29 to 31 October 2025, Saint Petersburg will host the International Municipal BRICS Forum (IMBRICS), which will bring together more than 5,000 participants from 50 countries. The Government of Moscow will serve as the event’s General Partner.

The forum will provide a platform for dialogue between cities of the BRICS countries and for promoting new formats of international cooperation. The event is organised with the participation of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow (DEEIR) and the Moscow Centre for International Cooperation.

The Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the DEEIR, Sergey Cheremin, will attend the event. He will moderate the sessions "Russia – India" and "Municipal cooperation as a driver of regional integration and international economic relations", as well as speak at the discussion sessions "Russia – China: urban diplomacy in an era of change" and "Parliamentary diplomacy of the BRICS capitals in the era of global change as a tool for preserving investments".

“To date, the participation of 50 high-ranking public figures from Eurasia, Africa, and Latin America has been confirmed, and work continues. […] More than 1,500 foreign delegates have applied for accreditation, and 700 applications are under review,” Cheremin noted.

In 2025, the event will be held in synergy with the Russian Industrialist International Forum Exhibition, where regional programme developers will be able to engage directly with companies and investors. According to Cheremin, this will create a “market of solutions” where participants can not only exchange experience but also leave St. Petersburg with ready-made projects and concluded agreements for the development of their territories.

The President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and member of the IMBRICS Organising Committee, Vladimir Platonov, noted that business interest in the forum is growing rapidly – both CCIs of major metropolises and regional entrepreneurs will take part in its work.

The International Municipal BRICS Forum is held with the support of the Federation Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Government of St. Petersburg, the Moscow City Duma, the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government, the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and the Roscongress Foundation.

Last year, more than 300 cooperation agreements were signed at the forum, which was attended by over 6,000 participants.

Photo: metamorworks / iStock