From October 29 to November 2, 2024, Yan Dong, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), led a delegation to Dubai, UAE, to attend the Working Meeting of the BRICS+ Association of Cities and Municipalities. The visit was made at the invitation of Ilsur Metshin, Chairman of the Association and Mayor of Kazan, Russia. The meeting was attended by over 30 participants, both in person and virtually, including representatives from cities and local government organizations across nine countries (Russia, China, Brazil, India, South Africa, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Türkiye). Other participants included representatives from organizations and institutions such as the United Cities and Local Governments and the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation (GIUI). The meeting primarily focused on the discussion of the charter of the association, organizational structure, and membership fees. It also announced the lists of the joint chairpersons and secretaries-general and confirmed that the next working meeting will be held in the spring of 2025. Brazil, as the incoming BRICS rotating presidency in 2025, will host the first general assembly of the association at an appropriate time following its establishment.
Yan Dong began by extending congratulations on the successful conclusion of the 16th BRICS Summit, held recently in Kazan, Russia. He highlighted that President Xi Jinping's vision for BRICS - emphasizing peace, innovation, green development, justice, and closer people-to-people exchanges - provides valuable guidance for the further development of the BRICS mechanism. Yan emphasized that the meeting in Dubai aimed to implement the directives of the BRICS Summit, harness the collective wisdom and strength of local governments within the BRICS+ framework, strengthen solidarity among Global South nations, and promote the high-quality development of broader BRICS cooperation.
Yan also underscored the significant role played by local governments and sister cities within the BRICS+ framework in fostering trust, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, and contributing to world peace and development. He expressed hope that the meeting would advance the association's development as a platform for deepened collaboration, enhanced mutual trust, and stronger partnerships among local governments in BRICS countries, emerging markets, and developing nations. He also highlighted the importance of consolidating the foundation for people-to-people friendship and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Ilsur Metshin briefed on Kazan's holding of the 16th BRICS Summit. He noted that the world is transitioning toward a multipolar order, with BRICS serving as a key force for global peace and development. He called for concerted efforts to further expand the BRICS+ partnerships at the city and local government levels, build and develop communication and cooperation mechanisms, strengthen mutual trust and solidarity to address global challenges together and work for a better world of peace and sustainable development.
Before the meeting, Yan met with Evgeniya Lodvigova, Deputy Mayor of Kazan and the representative of the meeting host. They had an in-depth exchange of views on issues such as the association's charter and organizational structure, with CPAFFC's suggestions being put forward. During his time in Dubai, Yan also held discussions with several representatives of the participating countries. Among them were Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Region of the United Cities and Local Governments; Nicholas You, Executive Director at the GIUI; Guseva Irina Mikhailovna, Co-Chairperson of All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government; Eduardo Tadeu, Executive Director of Brazilian Association of Municipalities; Pushyamitra Bhargav, Mayor of Indore, India; Teshome Adugna, Mayor of Shaggar, Ethiopia; Dr. Saif Al Nasri, Undersecretary of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi, UAE; and U?ur ?brahim Altay, Mayor of Konya, Türkiye. They exchanged views on strengthening contacts with each other, advancing the healthy development of the association, and deepening cooperation among local governments and friendship among the peoples under the BRICS+ framework.
The BRICS+ Association of Cities and Municipalities was established in June in Kazan, Russia, with a founding declaration. China is one of the founding members, and the CPAFFC participated in drafting the declaration on behalf of the Chinese side. This meeting in Dubai marks the association's first working meeting since its establishment.
