Int'l Municipal BRICS Forum opens in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG. Nov 24 (Interfax) - The fourth International Municipal BRICS+ Forum opened at the Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Center in St. Petersburg on Thursday, an Interfax correspondent reported.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a video message at the opening ceremony that the forum is attended not only by delegations from the five BRICS countries, but also by representatives of partner countries from Asia, Africa, Central and South America.

"We welcome their genuine interest in the development of multifaceted cooperation with our union. This is not surprising, as all the work within its framework is based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and justice. BRICS embodies the synergy of cultures and civilizations representing different regions of our planet. This international body is a model of a true multilateral diplomacy, which meets the reality of the twenty-first century," Lavrov said.

He said that the answers to many questions of our time, whether in the field of economy or security, could only be found collectively, based on a balance of interests and generally recognized international legal standards, and he looks forward to an equally constructive nature at the forum.

The participants will, among other things, share the experience of management on the municipal level and consider the prospects of joint projects.

Thus, as part of the New Reality - New Development thematic section, experts from the BRICS countries intend to discuss opportunities for foreign economic activity for small businesses as well as the prospects of business development in Russia for Asian countries.

The plenary session of the New Reality: Challenges and Opportunities forum on Friday, November 25 will focus on strategies for adapting to the new political and economic conditions.

The Forum will also discuss the role of business incubators in attracting investment, urbanization, improving the quality of the urban environment, the future of alternative energy sources, eco-trends in waste recycling, digital services and information security, innovations in the banking industry and trends in e-commerce.