International Municipal BRICS Forum Opens New Horizons for Cooperation
The International Municipal BRICS Forum took place from October 29 to 31, 2025, at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg. The Government of Moscow was the General Partner of the event. The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow and the Moscow Centre for International Cooperation actively participated in the forum.
The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow organized one of the forum’s key sessions — “Municipal Cooperation as a Driver of Regional Integration and International Economic Ties.” The session was attended by Yanet Hernández Pérez, Governor of Havana; Mehdi Chamran, Chairman of the Islamic City Council of Tehran; Sheikh Dawood Al Shezawi, President of the AIM Congress annual investment forum; Ramazan Kabasakal, Head of the International Relations Department of the Ankara Municipality; Aaron Mokgale Maluleka, Member of the Executive Committee of the Mayor of Tshwane; and other officials. Sergey Cheremin, Head of The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, moderated the session. He noted that cities today are unique drivers of national development, and the largest urban agglomerations are sometimes comparable to small countries in terms of their gross regional product. Therefore, the leadership of megacities faces serious challenges in harmoniously improving their territories, ensuring urban comfort, safety, and sustainable economic development. “Municipal cooperation between us is a unique tool for exchanging experience and best practices in managing megacities and municipalities. That is why the forum pays special attention to aspects of our interaction in this area,” the minister said.
Moscow maintains close ties with Havana, including a number of joint initiatives in the field of transport. Yanet Hernández Pérez, Governor of Havana, as a representative of a BRICS partner state, emphasized: “BRICS has established itself as a crucial pillar for building a fairer, more equitable, and inclusive international order. In a world marked by systemic crises — economic, climate, and food — this block represents a necessary alternative committed to the democratization of international relations and, of course, the promotion of multilateralism.” In her opinion, city diplomacy helps strengthen institutional ties, exchange best practices, and harmonize regulatory frameworks for jointly addressing global issues. Cooperation at the municipal level strengthens the BRICS structure and the organization’s influence on the international stage. Despite their differences, municipalities face common challenges and inter‑municipal cooperation allows them to be effectively addressed.
Mehdi Chamran, Chairman of the Islamic City Council of Tehran, called for strengthening the role of local self‑government, including in addressing issues at the national and international levels. “Councils and municipalities are becoming an important bridge for building relations among a large number of stakeholders, playing a significant role in strengthening cooperation not only at the regional level but also at the international level. For example, today the Tehran City Council and the Moscow City Duma are working together,” Chamran said. In his view, cooperation between cities can be strengthened through three tools: experience exchange, creating a stable and transparent space for investors, and cultural and people’s diplomacy. “Tehran is proud to share its experience with other BRICS capitals and regions,” he assured.
An example of successful inter‑city cooperation is the partnership between Ankara and Moscow. This September, Moscow Days were held in Ankara. Ramazan Kabasakal, Head of the International Relations Department of the Ankara Municipality, noted that joint city events allow authorities to apply best practices in municipal governance and enable businesses to establish direct contacts. He stated that Ankara is ready to share its experience with other cities, especially in the field of urban planning. Aaron Mokgale Maluleka, Member of the Executive Committee of the Mayor of Tshwane (South Africa), expressed readiness to expand both trade‑economic and cultural cooperation with Russia.
Another country ready to expand cooperation with Russia is China. A session titled “Russia‑China: City Diplomacy in an Era of Change” was dedicated to Russian‑Chinese relations. Participants discussed city diplomacy as a tool for strengthening the strategic partnership between Russia and China, successful practices of Moscow and Chinese cities in creating a favorable investment climate, and mechanisms for promoting and supporting foreign business in Moscow and the PRC.
Moscow maintains close interaction not only with Beijing but also with other major Chinese cities. The Head of The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow noted in his speech that foreign economic interaction between Moscow and Chinese partners exceeded $104 billion. “This demonstrates the positive dynamics we have in economic relations, interregional ties, and cultural exchanges. The years 2024 and 2025 were declared cross‑years of culture, and we held many events related to that. In June last year, Moscow Days were held in Beijing, during which the Mayor of Moscow and the Mayor of Beijing signed a new cooperation agreement for 2026‑2028,” Cheremin said.
Moscow was a partner of the Russian‑Chinese EXPO, which was successfully held in Harbin. The leadership of China and the President of the Russian Federation visited the Moscow booth, which showcased the latest achievements in urban planning, digitalization, and investment cooperation with Chinese businesses. In recent years, direct foreign investment from China into Moscow has grown significantly, reaching more than $2 billion. Today, more than 300 large Chinese companies operate in Moscow across various sectors. “We are interested in cooperation in digitalization. Today, Moscow is one of the leaders, and Chinese cities are also demonstrating high momentum in implementing digital technologies, particularly in security, telecommunications development, unmanned and electric transport. All these topics are highly relevant for Moscow, so we will continue our cooperation, including in the development of transport infrastructure,” Cheremin emphasized.
Over the past year, several regional cooperation programs were signed, including protocols for cooperation with the cities of Hefei and Chengdu. Moscow cooperates with Shanghai, Xi’an, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. In the coming months, Moscow Days will be held in Harbin and Chengdu. Next year, the Moscow Days are planned in several other regions of the People’s Republic of China. “Moscow remains committed to city diplomacy because we believe that city diplomacy, in these very challenging times, allows us to deepen interstate relations and expand cultural exchanges,” Cheremin noted.
This idea was supported by Du Jianqiang, Secretary of the Party Group and Head of the Urban Management Bureau of Zhengzhou. “In the context of profound transformations in the current international situation, city diplomacy has become an important catalyst for interstate relations. We want to continue developing cooperation with our main partner, Russia, and remain committed to core principles such as multilateralism and integrity,” he said. Zhengzhou has become an important hub for international trade and multi‑million ton cargo transportation, significantly expanding opportunities for foreign economic cooperation, especially with Moscow. The two cities are strengthening cooperation in the economy, science, education, and transport. “Moscow is our main partner in culture and other fields. We are currently holding many events to develop relations,” Du Jianqiang reported.
Li Zheng, Managing Board Member of the international investment company Huaming, spoke about a large‑scale joint project between China and Moscow — the Huaming Park Chinese business center in Moscow. The total area of the project is about 6 hectares. It includes five‑star hotels, offices, apartments, and a modern congress center. Surrounding these modern facilities is a Chinese landscape park. “Many Chinese companies have expressed a desire to enter the Russian market. We feel that Russians and Chinese share common values, a common view of human relationships, family, and friendship, and on this basis we want to develop interaction between Russia and China,” Li Zheng said. Huaming Park is an important platform for strengthening such cooperation.
On the sidelines of the forum, two important documents were signed — a Cooperation Program between the Government of Moscow and the Provincial Government of Havana, and a Protocol of Intentions on Establishing Friendly Relations between Moscow and Zhengzhou. The documents identified promising areas for cooperation. The signings laid a solid foundation for the development of multifaceted relations between major metropolitan areas. This is an important step toward strengthening friendly ties between people.