Economic Congress of 6th BRICS International Municipal Forum Concludes in St. Petersburg

The Economic Congress of the 6th BRICS International Municipal Forum (autumn session) was held on 21–22 November 2024 in St. Petersburg. The event addressed issues concerning interregional municipal cooperation, the economic sustainability of cities, infrastructure development, the digitalization of urban spaces, support for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the implementation of environmental projects. The Forum was organized with the support of the St. Petersburg Administration.

The plenary session was held on 21 November at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library. The plenary session participants heard welcome addresses from Russian Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District Alexander Gutsan, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Alexander Belsky, Moscow City Duma Chairman Alexey Shaposhnikov, and Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region Sergey Bebenin.

During the plenary session, the participants discussed what a key factor interregional and inter-municipal cooperation plays in economic growth in BRICS countries. They paid particular attention to practical aspects of using legislative instruments to improve people’s quality of life and achieve sustainable regional development.

The Economic Conference programme featured more than 43 events, including panel discussions, roundtables, and specialized sessions. In addition to discussing the development of international municipal cooperation and economic ties, the programme included thematic pillars devoted to key aspects of municipal governance, such as integrated territorial development, the social sector, digitalization, healthcare, improvements to urban infrastructure, youth policy, and business tourism.

The event was co-organized by key committees of the St. Petersburg Government, the Public Council for the Development of Small Entrepreneurship under the St. Petersburg Governor, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, Investment Russia, the Moscow City Duma, the Leningrad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Union, universities of St. Petersburg, and several other public organizations.

The Forum was attended by more than 3,500 people, including over 1,000 foreign participants from 61 countries. More than 522 experts served as speakers and presenters. A total of 80 agreements were signed at the event.

The Roscongress Foundation manages the events of Russia’s BRICS chairship.