Why BRICS+ Businesses Should Look at the Dagestan Mining Forum Now

The catalyst was the launch of the Second International Forum "Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories" in Makhachkala, which gathered over 700 participants from Russian regions and Global South countries – from India and Iran to Kazakhstan and Belarus. Among the honored guests were Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum, and heads of federal and inter-parliamentary structures, as confirmed by "Dagestanskaya Pravda." The forum's starting agenda – agro-innovations, tourism, digitalization, and environmental monitoring – was detailed by the republic's head administration, highlighting a business program with signed agreements and an exhibition fair, as reported by "Big Asia."

What Signals Did Key Participants Send – and What Does This Mean for the BRICS+ Agenda?

The main emphasis was on the practical agenda of sustainable development for mountain regions involving government, business, and the expert community. The Head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, expressed support for entrepreneurship and personal subsidiary plots in mountainous areas, recalled the region's leadership in lamb production and its export potential, as well as its tourism opportunities and environmental safety tasks, as emphasized by "Zori Tabasarana."

From BRICS, a thesis was presented on shifting cooperation into the "mountain economy." Purnima Anand, President of the BRICS International Forum, proposed developing cooperation within the BRICS format and invited a Dagestani delegation to India to initiate dialogue on specific projects, as conveyed by Mirmol.ru.

"The sustainable development of mountain territories is extremely important today for connecting Dagestan, Makhachkala, and the BRICS countries... I believe we can also develop a new dialogue on the development of mountain territories in the BRICS context."

At the federal and inter-parliamentary level, participation was confirmed by Vice-Speaker of the Federation Council Inna Svyatenko and Secretary General of the CIS IPA Dmitry Kobitsky. The presence of delegations from CIS countries and neighboring regions of the North Caucasus strengthens the interregional BRICS-CIS connection, as noted by "Dagestanskaya Pravda."

What Systemic Consequences are Possible – and Which Institutions are Already Being Launched?

A key institutional step is the preparation of a draft federal law on the development and protection of mountain territories, which will be submitted to the State Duma shortly. Concurrently, the necessity of a basic regulatory framework considering transport, social infrastructure, and gasification of mountain regions has been declared, as stated by the region's head.

The forum is shaping a "cross-cutting" agenda architecture, from ecosystem monitoring and climate change adaptation to the digitalization of settlements, tourism, and the agro-industrial complex, with a special focus on municipal-level solutions and youth engagement, as outlined by "Big Asia." The outcome will be a public resolution after the plenary session on October 3 and a series of interregional agreements on water supply, subsoil use, ecology, and infrastructure, as reported by the official website of the Republic of Ingushetia.

A separate systemic effect is the expansion of expert cooperation. The participant list includes specialists in geology and mineral resources, the gas industry (including "Gazprom VNIIGAZ"), and nuclear and radiation safety from Belarus and Uzbekistan, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Russian regions. This creates a basis for standardizing practices in challenging mountain ecosystems, as indicated by the program.

What Tactical Opportunities and Risks for Companies and Regions are Visible Now?

The immediate "entry points" for businesses and regional teams are located in four clusters:

• Agro-innovations in mountainous areas: mountain horticulture, animal husbandry, and related services. The priority has been confirmed in the opening sessions and roundtable topics, as indicated by "Dagestanskaya Pravda."
• Tourism and cultural industries: focus on natural and climatic advantages and event formats. The participation of federal and regional cultural leaders enhances regional branding.
• Digitalization and environmental monitoring: demand for "smart" solutions in small mountain settlements and environmental control, as highlighted in the forum's agenda.
• Energy technology and technical regulation: the presence of industry R&D (gas) and regulators in nuclear and radiation safety opens niche B2B cooperation and standard exchange, as confirmed by the list of participants published by "Novoye Delo."

Short-term risks are concentrated on the "bottlenecks" of mountain territory infrastructure – transport, social facilities, and gasification. This requires federal support and may lengthen project implementation cycles in certain areas, as emphasized by the region's head.

How to Maximize the Opportunity Window of the Forum and Regional Agenda?

A direct guideline is the business program featuring an exhibition fair and a signing block, allowing for the consolidation of BRICS-CIS interregional and cross-border ties in a "short cycle," as noted by the organizers. An additional potential "bridge" is the Indian direction, opened by Purnima Anand's invitation, which reduces market entry transaction costs through institutional support, as conveyed by Mirmol.ru.

Practically, companies in the agro-food sector, tourism, "green" digitalization, and engineering services for complex terrain can accelerate pilot project development precisely at the municipal level – where land, environmental, and infrastructure decisions are most sensitive and convert more quickly into contracts. The forum's final resolution and the announced draft federal law create an opportunity for establishing project consortia under the future regulatory framework.