Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s video address to participants in the Forum of BRICS Sister Cities and Municipalities, July 9, 2024

Colleagues,

Friends,

I am delighted to welcome the organisers and participants of the traditional Forum of BRICS Sister Cities and Municipalities.

This year, the forum is being held in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and its capital, Nizhny Novgorod, which are known for their history and hospitality. Today, the region, just like the whole of Russia, is demonstrating its openness to the world and its readiness to develop foreign relations based on the principles of respect, equality and mutual advantage.

Russia, which holds BRICS Chairmanship this year, is working to build up comprehensive strategic partnership within this association. We are paying priority attention to humanitarian cooperation and contacts between people.

Interaction between cities and municipalities has a big role to play in these efforts. It has recently been growing in terms of scope and, more importantly, quality. Plans for this year include many relevant events, which will certainly make a substantial contribution to the development of interregional cooperation within BRICS.

One such event is the Forum of Sister Cities and Municipalities. Over the past years, it has become an effective platform for developing dialogue between regional and municipal authorities, which has led to the establishment of sister city relations between many of them.

The accession of new members to BRICS on January 1, 2024, has considerably increased the potential of this mechanism. It offers new opportunities for exchanging experience on the key aspects of urban life, in particular, urban construction, local self-government and law-making, social protection, security and other essential topics.

During this forum, you will discuss vital issues such as enhancing the quality of city life, the economic development of municipalities, modern urban architecture, the digitalisation of urban environment, as well as various aspects of the ecology, education, culture, sport and youth exchanges. The Russian participants have considerable experience they can and will share in all these spheres.

A cultural programme is an integral part of this event. I am sure that you will enjoy learning about the region’s history and architecture and the crafts of our country.

There is no doubt that your forum will be held in a business-like and friendly atmosphere, which will help you establish useful contacts, discuss promising joint projects, as well as strengthen friendship and trust between our nations.

I wish you fruitful discussions and all the best.

Source: https://mid.ru/