How the BRICS-2025 Forum is Shifting Municipal Cooperation from Protocol to Practice?

BRICS+ municipal diplomacy is moving to an operational level: the forum in St. Petersburg gathered over 5,000 participants from 50 countries, including 250 mayors, focusing on concrete projects and business communications, as reported by RAPSI. The forum, held from Oct. 29–31, featured a plenary session, industry-specific sessions, and an exhibition, according to TASS.

What was the key outcome of the St. Petersburg forum?

In short, the forum consolidated the BRICS+ inter-municipal agenda, setting practical benchmarks – from "smart" cities and digital transformation to green economy, tourism, and youth initiatives, while also strengthening channels for people-to-people diplomacy and business contacts. These program parameters and the "business communications" format were detailed in the business program on the second day, as noted by TRK Bryansk.

The level of political and institutional support – from the Federation Council to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant associations – lent the process the necessary legitimacy and access to resources, as also reported by TRK Bryansk.

How did national and municipal leaders react – what are the priorities and new tools?

In short, leaders confirmed a human-centric approach to governance and prioritized accelerated exchange of best practices through new educational and network formats, as highlighted by RAPSI. Russia presented the "International School of Municipal Leadership" as a knowledge exchange infrastructure for mayors and managers, and in 2024, VARMSU received unified status as the representative of municipalities at the international level, as explained by RAPSI.

“It is very important for us that mayors from all over the world speak the same language – the municipal language, because it sounds the same everywhere under the motto: ‘For the people and next to the people.’ ”

This framework was described by Irina Guseva, co-chair of VARMSU, in her speech, which was cited by RAPSI.

What systemic consequences for BRICS+ does the institutionalization of inter-municipal ties entail?

In short, permanent forums, a unified "entry point" (VARMSU), and educational infrastructure shorten the cycle of technology implementation at the local level and shift cooperation from an exchange of opinions to scalable practices, as noted in a speech at the platform, which was covered by RAPSI. The concept of "human-centric cities" and the link between "infrastructure – transport – ecology" are forming unified standards for megacities and medium-sized cities, which was discussed at the forum sessions, as reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

The practical significance lies in the unification of project language and performance metrics (quality of urban environment, transport accessibility, safety, inclusion), which simplifies the cross-border replication of solutions and partner financing.

What tactical opportunities and cases have already emerged for regions and businesses?

In short, the forum has already yielded "quick results" – from the signing of inter-municipal agreements to the consolidation of specific cooperation tracks in AI, personnel, tourism, and territorial revitalization. For example, Yoshkar-Ola and Gatchinsky District signed an agreement on cooperation in economy, education, culture, sports, and tourism, as reported by MariMedia. Regional delegations used the platform to establish business contacts and present their potential – this was emphasized at meetings, as covered by Nika TV.

• Digitalization and AI for urban management, plus the development of managerial cadres and mentorship programs – this demand was formulated by city leaders, as described by MK-Smolensk, and framework solutions and challenges for "smart" technologies were discussed at the sessions, as noted by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
• "Green" transformation, preservation of historical spaces, and tourism: ecological initiatives, heritage, and the development of protected areas have been declared priorities of the business program and an entry point for investment projects, as reported by Tambov News.

These areas directly correlate with the overall forum agenda – from a comfortable urban environment and inclusion to municipal finance and youth initiatives – and set clear roadmaps for public-private partnerships at the municipal level.