International Municipal BRICS Forum 2025: New Horizons for Municipal Cooperation

The International Municipal BRICS Forum (IMF BRICS) took place from October 29 to 31 at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg, bringing together over 5,500 participants from 75 countries, including mayors, governors, parliamentarians, diplomats, and business representatives. The Government of Moscow served as the General Partner, while the Department for External Economic and International Relations ensured active participation in key sessions. The Moscow Centre for International Cooperation provided technical support for the construction of the Moscow stand, contributing to an effective presentation of the capital’s achievements.

The forum provided a platform for discussing governance models, social policy, inter‑parliamentary cooperation, investment and municipal diplomacy, ecology, innovation, digitalization, AI, healthcare, development, urban planning, and infrastructure. The youth agenda, education, culture, tourism, sports, and barrier‑free environments were also at the centre of attention.

The plenary session was opened with welcoming remarks from Leonid Tyagachev, Chairman of the IMF BRICS Organizing Committee. The opening ceremony set a high standard: a violin ensemble performance was followed by an AI‑powered avatar assistant, whose words captured the spirit of the event: “Everything beautiful begins with a person, and the future begins here – with your ideas, with your light.” The climax was a performance combining Russian ballet with contemporary rhythms.

Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, conveyed greetings from Sergey Lavrov, emphasising the forum’s role in shaping a just world order. Evgeny Grachev, Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration for Internal Policy, reminded participants of the priority of human welfare in National Projects. Irina Guseva, Co‑Chair of VARMSU, stressed openness to dialogue.

The central theme of the first day was “Smart City Development Strategies.” Alexey Shaposhnikov, Chairman of the Moscow City Duma, presented a report on digital transformation, noting that Moscow is implementing over 100 AI‑driven projects, saving Muscovites 100 million hours annually. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of Leningrad Oblast, emphasised the importance of infrastructure comfort for people.

The forum’s second day covered financial and economic cooperation, digital technologies, education, healthcare, youth policy, migration, culture, and sports. The session “Municipal Cooperation as a Driver of Regional Integration” was opened by Sergey Cheremin, who highlighted the exchange of best practices.

Yanet Hernández Pérez, Governor of Havana, reaffirmed support for BRICS and readiness for cooperation. Mehdi Chamran, Chairman of the Islamic City Council of Tehran, proposed three tools: experience exchange, investment stability, and people’s diplomacy. Evgenia Lodvigova, Deputy Mayor of Kazan, presented the “Shared City” project.

Inna Svyatenko, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, noted the potential of the creative economy. Elena Zinovieva and Igor Akulin discussed the risks of AI in healthcare. The “Russia‑China: City Diplomacy” session, with bilateral trade turnover reaching $104 billion, underscored the potential for cooperation.

Du Jianqiang, Party Secretary of Zhengzhou, noted progress in science and education. Li Zheng presented the “Huaming Park” project in Moscow. The Youth Hub discussed volunteering, with examples from Rosatom and a Nigerian initiative.

The forum concluded with a summary: 5,200 registered participants, of whom 1,500 were foreigners; 2,500 municipal representatives, including 650 mayors. The program included 88 events with 630 speakers. More than 70 agreements were signed. The forum was covered by 223 media representatives, with over 1,500 publications.