The Mayor of Kazan addresses the ambassadors of the BRICS countries

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, addressed the ambassadors of the BRICS countries at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry. He announced a number of proposals for the development of a multipolar world at a round table with the participation of Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Rector of the Academy Alexander Yakovenko, representatives of the embassies of Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, India, China and Egypt.

Ilsur Metshin spoke about the uniqueness of Kazan, where representatives of different religions and different nationalities have been living in harmony and dialogue for centuries. He stressed that Kazan is ready to make every effort to develop and promote the ideas of a multipolar world.

“Almost half of the world's population lives in the BRICS countries. The powerful dynamics of development has actually turned the BRICS into an association of countries that ensure the development of modern humanity. There are all the reasons and all the possibilities for creating new horizontal institutions today. Working on the ground, we see that people have a great desire to interact, share experiences, strengthen each other,”- he noted and voiced a number of proposals.

I.Metshin stated the need to create an Association of BRICS Cities for the development of inter-municipal relations and the exchange of best practices.

“Municipalities of friendly countries should have their own voice in the international scene. For a long time, we lived according to Western standards. But we have our own huge heritage and rich experience in solving urgent urban issues. And today it is time for more active interaction, establishing economic, cultural and scientific ties for mutual enrichment and development. There is an obvious need to create such a structure,”- the Mayor said.

The Mayor of Kazan appealed to the ambassadors of the BRICS countries to support the idea and invited representatives of friendly countries to the first constituent meeting of the Association of Cities of the BRICS countries in June 2024.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov supported the idea of establishing an Association of BRICS cities. “We see a lack of consistency in municipal cooperation in the format of the BRICS countries. Therefore, we welcome the initiative of Kazan and the Mayor of this wonderful city, Ilsur Metshin, to establsih an Association of BRICS Cities and Municipalities. The implementation of the idea is necessary as a mechanism for coordinating cooperation during the intersessional period. I am sure that the initiative will be useful,”- Sergei Ryabkov said.

The Mayor of Kazan spoke about the need to establish professional communities as part of the BRICS association. He proposed to establish an association of urban architects, an association of international schools and a University of Creative Industries of the BRICS countries.

According to the Mayor, the new community will provide the BRICS countries with access to the best experts, facilitate the procedures for inviting leading architectural bureaus to competitions, and provide opportunities for obtaining high-quality specialized education through internships at leading architectural schools.

In conclusion, Ilsur Metshin reminded that this year the BRICS Games and the BRICS Summit will take place in the capital of Tatarstan. The Mayor expressed hope that they will become an excellent platform for the exchange of experience in various areas.