St. Petersburg hosts the launch of the International Municipal BRICS Forum

The International Municipal BRICS Forum began in St. Petersburg on October 29. 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 are actively participating in organizing and running the event. During the plenary session “Smart City Development Strategies: Infrastructure Management,” speeches were given by Sergey Cheremin, Head of DVMIS; Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia; Alexey Shaposhnikov, Chairman of the Moscow City Duma; Li Zheng, Managing Board Member of the international investment company Huaming; Yanet Hernández Pérez, Governor of Havana; and other officials. They discussed sustainable development models for municipalities, effective smart technologies and digital solutions, and efficient formats for experience exchange.

In his remarks, the Head of The Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow noted that Moscow has more than 150 partner cities around the world. “We have over 100 cooperation programs in place, including among the capitals of BRICS countries and those that have recently joined this international community,” Sergey Cheremin said. Moscow actively cooperates with all leading organizations that promote international cooperation, including the Eurasian Economic Community, the SCO, and various international associations such as Metropolis.

At the forum, Cheremin presented Moscow’s achievements in various sectors. Thanks to the integrated territorial development program, modern residential neighborhoods, office complexes, and social infrastructure facilities have appeared in the capital. Major successes have also been achieved in the development of Moscow’s transport infrastructure. “We are among the top three in terms of metro construction speed. Since 2011, Moscow has put more than 120 new metro stations into operation, including the world’s largest metro circle line. This is the city’s second circle metro line, spanning more than 70 kilometers with 31 stations,” Cheremin emphasized. Moscow is a leader in the development of electric river transport. The city is also expanding its fleet of electric buses.

“Today, Moscow’s digital services are among the most advanced in the world according to this year’s ranking, which analyzed the world’s largest megacities. Moscow took second place after Singapore in the smart city ranking,” the minister shared. “In terms of the number of digital services that the city currently provides, including online government services, there are already about 450 services. Moreover, we apply them across all sectors of the economy — transport, healthcare, and education.” A unique product — the digital twin — helps in city management and development forecasting. It contains more than 6,000 layers that provide real‑time information on existing buildings, planned structures, the transport system, and underground utilities. The digital twin helps design sound social policies and determine the number of schools, kindergartens, cultural institutions, and sports facilities needed for the harmonious and sustainable development of the metropolis. The digital platform “Active Citizen” allows residents’ opinions to be taken into account when planning the capital’s development. Last year, more than 7 million people used it.

All these digital services help create Moscow’s competitiveness. “I hope our experience will be in demand by colleagues not only in BRICS countries. We are ready to share it with all municipalities, and we are fully open to cooperation,” Cheremin noted.

Chairman of the Moscow City Duma Alexey Shaposhnikov said: “Moscow most often acts as a pilot platform for testing advanced technologies that later become part of the daily lives of citizens. To date, Moscow uses more than 100 projects with artificial intelligence. These include healthcare, transport, education, construction, and other key sectors of urban management.” Thanks to the spread of digital services, Muscovites save 100 million hours a year. Implementing innovations requires rapid updating of legislation. “At the same time, we must not just respond to these changes but be one step ahead. That is why it is especially important for us to exchange best legislative solutions with our friendly states, megacities, and cities, helping each other adapt to new challenges,” Shaposhnikov stressed. On the initiative of the Moscow City Duma, the Parliamentary Movement of BRICS Capitals was created. This is a platform for direct dialogue between the representative legislative bodies of the largest cities of the association, exchanging best legislative practices and coordinating legislative activities. The project was launched this October in Beijing.

During the plenary session, the potential for cooperation between Moscow and China was presented by Li Zheng, Managing Board Member of the international investment company Huaming. He noted that joint projects in medicine are now being launched. The Chinese Business Center “Huaming Park” is operating in Moscow. China and Moscow are also cooperating in the cultural sphere. Li Zheng spoke about innovations in China’s restaurant industry — specifically, robot chefs are actively being used in online delivery. Li Zheng suggested using robot chefs in Moscow to prepare Russian cuisine.

Russia is strengthening cooperation with India. Prospects for the development of relations between the countries were discussed at the session “Russia – India.” It was attended by Nilam Rani, Consul General of the Republic of India in St. Petersburg; Sammy Kotwani, President of the Indian Business Alliance; and representatives of business communities from both countries. The Head of DVMIS moderated the session. “Today, foreign economic trade and our operational ties with India are developing at a remarkably rapid pace. Last year, record trade turnover was recorded between our countries — about $70 billion. India firmly holds third place in the list of strategic partners for foreign economic activity with the Russian Federation,” Cheremin reported. The countries traditionally cooperate in areas such as energy, mechanical engineering, defense, and fertilizer supplies. However, interaction continues to expand to address the existing trade imbalance. Plans include developing tourism, textile industry projects, and mechanical engineering. “We note a significant increase in pharmaceutical supplies to the Russian Federation from India; it is our largest partner in this industry,” the minister said.

Nilam Rani, Consul General of the Republic of India in St. Petersburg, supported the idea of diversifying trade relations between the two countries. India and Russia are actively cooperating in the development of smart cities, transport, infrastructure, and railway modernization. Russian IT solutions are being used by India under the Smart Cities program developed by the Indian government. Russian experience is being applied in intelligent transport systems and railway technologies, including the railways of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Bharat. Initiatives such as the International North‑South Transport Corridor and the Chennai – Vladivostok Corridor are contributing to the development of efficient logistics.

Municipal diplomacy allows best practices to be used to create a comfortable and safe urban environment. A cooperation program was signed between Moscow and New Delhi covering various areas of urban life: urban planning, development, infrastructure development, and much more. “We believe that partnership, not polarization, lies at the heart of humanity’s future,” Nilam Rani stated. In her opinion, the International Municipal BRICS Forum provides a unique platform for bringing cities and regions together, helping to bridge the gap between authorities and citizens. Cooperation between municipal and regional leaders of countries plays an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, implementing urban innovations, and ensuring economic resilience. “By maintaining dialogue between legislators, BRICS capitals can preserve investor confidence, build a sustainable economy, and promote inclusive growth. This platform facilitates the exchange of best practices and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the Consul General emphasized.