VI International Municipal Forum of BRICS countries starts in Moscow

Representatives of more than 80 Russian regions and 120 foreign countries have arrived in Moscow for the VI International Municipal Forum of the BRICS countries (IMBRICS). In total, about 5 thousand participants are expected to attend the event, of which 700 specialists will act as speakers.

The Forum is included in the calendar of Russia's presidency in BRICS in 2024.

TV BRICS is a member of the IMBRICS organising committee and acts as an international media partner.

In an exclusive commentary for TV BRICS, Sergey Cheremin, Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, emphasised:

"This forum will allow us to strengthen relations not only between the BRICS capitals and Moscow, but also between our partners on all continents. Today, more than 60 official delegations are represented at the event. <...> For us, this presence is evidence of our colleagues' interest in the technologies that Moscow is implementing in the municipal sphere"

Sergey Cheremin Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow

The forum programme consists of several thematic blocks. In the course of sessions and round tables the participants of the IMBRICS will discuss the issues of international inter-municipal integration, cooperation between megacities through city and regional parliaments, partnership within the BRICS framework, development of transport infrastructure, healthcare, science and education, as well as the role of information technologies in modern cities.

The core of the forum's business programme was the plenary session. The participants outlined key challenges and trends in the development of megacities.

According to Dawood Al Shezawi, President of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM Congress), the IMBRICS is an effective is an effective format of interaction between the largest BRICS cities.

“Meeting with municipality officers and officials gives confidence that there is a dialogue between decision-makers in each city. We discuss ways to collaborate, how to exchange knowledge, and how to adopt the latest technologies and systems to become advanced cities and to serve as the best cities for their national citizens”

Dawood Al Shezawi President of the Annual Investment Meeting

In turn, Vladimir Platonov, President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told TV BRICS about the cooperation between the capital's entrepreneurs and their colleagues from BRICS countries.

“IMBRICS is a platform where not only entrepreneurs from Moscow, but also businessmen from other Russian regions can build international ties”

Vladimir Platonov President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry

According to Vladimir Platonov, the Russian capital has a lot to offer foreign partners. First of all, this is about the achievements in the field of information technologies, which are used in all spheres of life: from creating a comfortable urban environment and optimising the work of government bodies to the development of urban transport and maintaining law and order.

The exchange of experience in the field of information technologies aroused high interest among the IMBRICS participants.

Tribhuvan Darbari, Chairman of the National Part of the SCO Business Council Secretariat, Chairman FICCI India-Russia Business Council, believes that information technologies and artificial intelligence can become a catalyst for the development of Russian-Indian cooperation.

“Russian regions are interested in developing cooperation with India. I have already met six governors in Russia, and they are keen to have direct cooperation with India,” Tribhuvan Darbari revealed.

Joao Paulo de Oliveira, Director, Department of Bilateral International Cooperation, Sao Paulo City Hall, told TV BRICS that he also held productive talks with representatives of the transport industry in the Russian capital. According to him, the IMBRICS is laying the foundations for future cooperation between Moscow and the Brazilian metropolis.

The VI International Municipal Forum is being held on 27-28 August with the support of the Russian Presidential Administration, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federation Council, the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, the Moscow City Duma and the Roscongress Foundation.