The I International Municipal BRICS Forum was held in St. Petersburg from 20 to 22 September. The event was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The forum was attended by the representatives of federal, regional and municipal authorities, various government agencies, large commercial business communities, public and scientific organizations from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The forum began with a business breakfast at the Grand Restaurant "Chin", located at St. Petersburg, Bolshoy prospect V. O., 103/6. As part of the business breakfast program, there was an open discussion on how to achieve an economic breakthrough of the BRICS countries. The discussion was led on the topical issues of upcoming joint actions to solve the key tasks to achieve global economic leadership in the global economic arena of BRICS, assessment of the prospects for collaboration and cooperation, analysis and forecast of the growth of financial injections integration for the next 5 years.

On the first day of work, the forum primarily took place in pavilion 7 of the LenExpo exhibition complex, located at 103 Bolshoy prospect V.O., St. Petersburg.

On the second day of work (21.09.2019) IMBRICS Forum-2019 took place in the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, located at 3 Senate Square, St. Petersburg;

The final session of the BRICS municipalities was held on September 22, 2019, in the conference halls of "The Universe of Water" museum and exhibition complex, located at 56 Shpalernaya street, St. Petersburg.

Welcoming addresses to the organizers and participants of the forum were sent from:

• S.A. Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sherpa of Russia in BRICS;
• E. V. Mitrofanova, Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, compatriots living abroad and international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo);
• A. V. Bugaev, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs;
• O.V. Melnitchenko, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Governments and Northern Affairs;
• E. D. Grigoriev, Chairman of the Committee on External Relations of St. Petersburg;
• A. S. Kalinin, President of the All-Russian Non-Governmental Organization of Small and Medium Business "OPORA RUSSIA";

The plenary session of the forum was devoted to the following topic: "Development objectives for the BRICS municipalities". At the meeting the participants discussed the possibility of sharing experience in developing the territories of the BRICS municipalities to improve domestic economic and social indicators, as well as increase the leadership positions of the five countries in the international arena; it also touched upon the issues of support for municipalities in the search for extra-budgetary funds.

The following representatives of the five countries acted as speakers at the plenary session of the IMBRICS Forum-2019:

• Brazil: Carlos Cruz, President of the Association of São Paulo State Municipalities;
• Russia: Artem Kalabukhov, First Secretary of the Department of Foreign Policy Planning for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation:
• Anatoly Shirokov, Member of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Governments and Northern Affairs;
• Sergey Kravchuk, Mayor of Khabarovsk;
• India: Deepak Miglani, Consul General of India in St. Petersburg;
• China: Zhang Zehua, Vice President of the Chinese-Russian Association of Young Entrepreneurs;
• South Africa: Frederich Peters, Speaker of the Midvaal Municipality.

The plenary session was moderated by:

• Dmitry Gavra, Head of Department, Professor, Doctor of Sociology, St. Petersburg State University.

During the 3 days of the Forum the total number of the field-specific sections was 16:

• Business breakfast;
• Development objectives for the BRICS municipalities;
• Presentation of economic and investment projects of the BRICS municipalities;
• Integration of trade, economic and investment cooperation at the municipal level;
• Development of new approaches to waste disposal at the municipal level;
• The interaction of the BRICS municipalities in the field of tourism: the search for new routes;
• Innovative technologies in construction and their economic benefits;
• Sport as a means to unite the BRICS countries:  promising sports;
• Development of a roadmap for the future cooperation between the BRICS municipalities;
• A modern BRICS city: smart technologies and innovative trends in urban development;
• Presentation of public projects for potential future cooperation between the BRICS municipalities;
• Prospects for the BRICS municipalities' interaction in the agricultural sector;
• Establishing high-tech international branches of interactive libraries in the BRICS countries;
• Special municipal-level economic zones for the development of the BRICS economy:
• The final session of the BRICS municipalities.

Speakers at the field-specific sections were:

From Brazil:

Henrique Domingues, Head of the delegation, Guarulhos City Hall;

Devanir Cavalcante de Lima, Head Coordinator of the delegation, Guarulhos City Hall;

Aquevirque Antonio Nholla, Chairman of the advisory body, Association of São Paulo State Municipalities;

Carlos Alberto Cruz Filho, President, Association of São Paulo State Municipalities;

Coronel Olavo Castilho Júnior, Deputy, Association of São Paulo State Municipalities;

Carlos Alberto Cruz Neto, Deputy, Association of São Paulo State Municipalities;

Fábia da Silva Porto, Mayor of Santa Isabel

Gérson Araújo Pinto, City Councillor, Chamber of City Councillors of São João da Boa Vista

Leandro Cseiman Dourado, Member of the Board of Directors, "Fesma Technologia em polímeros";

Maurício Cseiman Dourado, Member of the Board of Directors, "Fesma Technologia em polímeros"

From Russia:

Alexander Sidorov, Representative of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, compatriots living abroad and international humanitarian cooperation ("Rossotrudnichestvo");

Sergey Grakhov, Chairman of the Housing Committee of the Pskov region;

Vyacheslav Kalganov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg;

Yulana Savina, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Territorial Development of St. Petersburg;

Albert Semenov, Chairman of the Council of Deputies of the Yakutsk City Duma, Yakutsk, Member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Local Self-Government;

Sergey Kravchuk, Mayor of Khabarovsk;

Yuri Utkin, Chairman of the Perm City
Duma

Nikolay Burnaykin, Chairman of the Council of Deputies of Saransk;

 Maxim Kletz, Chairman of the City Duma of Nizhnevartovsk;

Anna Dyu, Chairman of the Council of Deputies of Syktyvkar;

Alyona Orlova, Head of the Local Administration "Kupchino";

Ekaterina Morozova, Head of Administration, Pechory town

Ruslan Alisultanov, Deputy Mayor of Grozny;

Oleg Zorya, Head of the All-Russian project "Urban renovation"

Alexandra Klimenko, Head of Strategic Innovations Department, Venture Fund "New Industry", "Gazprom Neft":

Mikhail Goremykin, Vice President and Co-Founder of the Interregional Public Organization "ROST";

and others.

From India:

Naresh Kumar, Consul of India in St. Petersburg;

Bariyar Rahul, Vice Consul, Consulate General of India in St. Petersburg;

Sukrit Sharan, Member of the Board of Directors, Indian Holding Company "IIAAT JSC", part of the space cluster " SKOLKOVO".

From China:

Zhang Zehua, Vice President of the Chinese-Russian Association of Young Entrepreneurs:

From the Republic of South Africa:

Frederich Peters, Speaker of the Midvaal Municipality.

Molotlhanyi Mankhala Moipone, Chief of Staff of the Midvaal Municipality;

Sivuyile Stuart Ntlathi, CEO, Institute of Engineering and Technology "SNSETinstitute"

Daniel Monaheng Sothoane, CEO, "MCD Training";

Motseki Mabuya Lennox, CEO, Media "YB20";

Mzukiseni Isaac Makae, CEO, company "Youth Life";

Motsoetla Pule Aaron, Executive Director of the Venture Fund "Phahamisa";

The forum was attended by around 700 delegates, including representatives of:

Association of São Paulo State Municipalities, City Hall of Campinas, City Hall of Guarulhos, City Hall of Santa Isabel, Chamber of São João da Boa Vista, Members of the Board of Directors of "Fesma Technologia em polímeros" – Federative Republic of Brazil;

Consulate General of the Republic of India in St. Petersburg, the Board of Directors of the Holding Company "IIAAT JSC", which is part of the space cluster "SKOLKOVO", CEO of "PRAKASH SHARMA PRODUCTION" – the Republic of India;

"China Business Centre" Association for the Promotion of Business Relations, Chinese-Russian Association of Young Entrepreneurs – People's Republic of China;

Midvaal Municipality, SNSETinstitute Engineering Institute, Phahamisa Venture Fund, MCD Training Centre – Republic of South Africa;

Representatives of the Russian side took part in the forum:

Federal authorities: Federal Council of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs "Rosmolodezh", Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, compatriots living abroad, and international humanitarian cooperation "Rossotrudnichestvo»;

Regional authorities: The St. Petersburg Administration, Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, the Pskov Region Administration, the Novgorod Region Administration;

Delegations from the municipal authorities: Khabarovsk, Grozny, Perm, Saransk, Syktyvkar, Yakutsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Krasnogorsk, Volzhsky, Pechory, municipalities of St. Petersburg, etc.;

Public organizations: All-Russian Organization "Urban Renovation", Interregional Public Organization "ROST", Laboratory of Research and Projects of Urban Development "ArkhNOVA Lab", "Centre for Development and Support of Entrepreneurship", "Foundation for Development of Information and Communication Technologies", etc.;

Business communities: The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg, the Chamber of Commerce of the Leningrad Region, PJSC Gazprom, the State Corporation "Rostekhnologii", LLC "Teplosfera", LLC "TSIK", LLC "ART-TRIUMPH", LLC "New Technologies", LLC "GLONASS OMNIKOMM", etc.;

Scientific communities and higher education institutions: St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg Mining University, etc.