Moscow Participates in the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia–Islamic World: KazanForum”

The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow took an active part in the XVI International Economic Forum “Russia–Islamic World: KazanForum.” The delegation was led by Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Government of Moscow, Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow.

The Minister participated in several key events. At the session “Russia – MENA Countries: From Trade to Cooperation Projects,” he spoke about Moscow’s trade, economic, and investment cooperation with the MENA region. In 2024, Moscow’s trade turnover with the Middle East and North Africa reached approximately USD 14.4 billion. This figure continues to grow and is becoming increasingly diversified. Alongside traditional raw material exports, there has been a notable increase in high-tech exports—machinery and equipment, electrical products, optical instruments, heavy engineering goods, and chemical industry products.

“Today, our active partners include Egypt and Algeria. We cooperate with Morocco and are working to establish ties with Tunisia. In the Middle East, we maintain the most intensive contacts with the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia,” noted Sergey Cheremin.

The Minister emphasized that the Gulf countries are creating favorable conditions for the localization of production by Moscow-based companies. “Moscow remains attractive to Arab partners—we receive numerous delegations from various countries every month,” he added. Despite sanctions pressure, the volume of foreign investment in the capital continues to grow. The total accumulated investment in the city’s economy exceeds USD 250 billion. Thousands of foreign companies still operate in Moscow. “This has been made possible thanks to support measures provided not only to Russian but also to international enterprises,” Cheremin stated.

Plans include increasing the volume of business investments and actively participating in all congress and exhibition events held in MENA countries.

From May 13 to 17, the IX Forum of Young Diplomats of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was held in Kazan, as part of KazanForum. The event was dedicated to the theme “Victory Diplomacy” in honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War. On May 15, during the official closing ceremony of the forum, Sergey Cheremin delivered a speech on supporting young professionals. “Moscow actively supports young diplomats through educational and professional initiatives. We are building an infrastructure where young people can not only learn but also apply their knowledge in practice—through international organizations, foreign internships, and UN simulations,” he noted.
The Russia Halal Expo international exhibition was also held during KazanForum 2025. The stand of the Government of Moscow was one of the key business program platforms and was visited by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Marat Khusnullin. Sergey Cheremin presented Moscow’s main areas of cooperation with the Islamic world: developing trade and economic ties, implementing joint technological projects, and sharing experience in digitalization and sustainable urban development. The stand showcased innovative smart city solutions and Moscow’s achievements in tourism, investment, and infrastructure development.

At the session “Exporting Digital Products for Smart Cities: From Concept to Global Market,” Sergey Cheremin noted that over 100 urban initiatives in Moscow already use artificial intelligence technologies in sectors such as telemedicine, education, economic management, transportation, and public utilities. “The use of AI across multiple sectors is our competitive advantage, enabling the city to maintain leadership and consistently rank high in international ratings,” the Minister emphasized.
Moscow has created a favorable climate for the growth of high-tech companies delivering modern solutions to the city.

“We provide unprecedented support—funding and subsidizing startups, and developing technoparks, technopolises, and innovation clusters,” he added. All of Moscow’s digital solutions are available to international partners, with surveillance and video recognition systems among the most in demand.
Prospects for cooperation with Malaysia were discussed at the roundtable “Russia–Malaysia Economic and Industrial Cooperation: Growth Through Technology and Innovation.” Malaysia is one of Moscow’s key partners. In November of last year, a joint cooperation statement was signed between the Moscow Government and Kuala Lumpur City Hall. “We are seeing steady growth in trade turnover with Malaysian partners, which reached USD 1.2 billion in 2024. In recent years, our capitals have established strong business relations, and we see a readiness to exchange expertise across a broad range of urban development topics,” noted Sergey Cheremin.

Priority areas of cooperation between Moscow and Malaysia include the development of transport infrastructure, technological modernization of major cities, and the integration of digital solutions into urban governance. Moscow is also actively studying Malaysia’s experience with technology parks and is open to collaborating on the creation of joint innovation clusters.