More Than 50 Countries to Take Part in the International Municipal BRICS Forum
The International Municipal BRICS Forum will be held from October 29 to 31, 2025, at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg. The event will bring together over 5,000 participants from more than 50 countries — including government representatives, entrepreneurs, and international experts. The Government of Moscow is the General Partner of the event. The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow and the Moscow Centre for International Cooperation participated in organizing the event. The Forum is supported by the Federation Council, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 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.
Sergey Cheremin, Head of Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, spoke about the preparations: “As of today, participation has been confirmed by 50 high‑ranking government officials from Eurasia, Africa, and Latin America, and work continues. … More than 1,500 foreign delegates have applied for accreditation, with another 700 pending approval and review.”
The business program of the IMF BRICS is divided into 15 practice‑oriented tracks. Topics include smart cities and digitalization, green transformation and sustainable development, environmental initiatives and clean technologies, municipal finance and investment, tourism development, sports and cultural heritage, social innovation and youth initiatives. Forum participants will pay special attention to developing business communications and strengthening inter‑state municipal cooperation through people’s diplomacy.
The Head of DVMIS will moderate the sessions “Russia – India” and “Municipal Cooperation as a Driver of Regional Integration and International Economic Ties.” Sergey Cheremin will speak at the sessions “Russia‑China: City Diplomacy in an Era of Change” and “Parliamentary Diplomacy of BRICS Capitals in a Time of Global Change as a Tool for Preserving Investment.”
The Forum opens new prospects for municipal initiatives. Municipal practices presented at the Forum may be noticed by federal ministries and gain the opportunity to be promoted on international platforms. “Thus, a local municipal initiative has the chance to become part of a major interstate project,” Cheremin concluded.
In 2025, the Forum will be organized in synergy with the “Russian Industrialist” international forum‑exhibition. Developers of regional programs and urban solutions will be able to communicate directly with companies and investors. Sergey Cheremin emphasized: “We are creating a single environment, a ‘market of solutions.’ For a specific participant — the head of a municipality — this provides an opportunity not just to ‘listen and talk,’ but literally in one visit to St. Petersburg to form a ready‑made package of solutions for their city, hold negotiations, and reach concrete agreements.”
Vladimir Platonov, President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the IMF BRICS Organizing Committee, noted that business interest in the IMF BRICS is growing. Russian chambers of commerce and industry from major metropolitan areas have responded to the invitations, and regional entrepreneurs will take an active part in the Forum.
The Forum makes a significant contribution to the sustainable development of BRICS countries. Participants of the IMF BRICS will have the opportunity to find long‑term partnerships and share effective models for the development of cities and regions. The Forum will help increase the investment attractiveness of cities, develop the social and economic well‑being of municipal territories, and strengthen international cooperation.
Last year, The International Municipal BRICS Forum program included more than 70 events and a large‑scale exhibition. The Forum was attended by 1,133 official foreign representatives (including 163 official delegates), 88 representatives of international non‑governmental organizations, 18 representatives of federal agencies, 716 representatives of Russian regions, and 229 mayors of Russian cities and heads of municipalities. The number of business participants exceeded 2,300. In total, more than 6,000 people visited the Forum.