Kazan to impress BRICS Summit participants with rich culture, vibrant economy: mayor

World leaders will be deeply impressed by the rich culture and vibrant economy of Kazan, the capital city of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, where the 16th BRICS Summit is set to take place from Tuesday to Thursday, said the city's mayor Ilsur Metshin.

Located along the Volga River, Kazan is one of the oldest cities in Russia and Eastern Europe, and it celebrated its 1,000th anniversary in 2005. With a population of 1.3 million, Kazan is the fifth largest city in Russia.

"Whoever visits Kazan will be deeply impressed by the city. Any city is made up of people, and many talented and hardworking people live a happy life in Kazan," said Metshin.

Kazan is an important cultural, educational, tourism and sports center of Russia. It is home to 34 museums, nine theaters, eight large concert halls, 51 libraries and 50 art schools for children. The city also regularly hosts large-scale cultural events such as opera festivals, classical ballet festivals, and film festivals.

There are 565 cultural heritage sites in the city which are under the protection at different levels, including the Leo Tolstoy museum and Vladimir Lenin's former residence. In 2000, the Kazan Kremlin complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Moreover, Kazan has been an important trade node since ancient times, and its economic growth ranks among the fastest in Russia. The city is also an important base for the Russian aviation industry.

"The aviation enterprises in Kazan are the pride of our country's manufacturing industry. Kazan's helicopter plant, petrochemical and information technology enterprises are the flagship projects that we are all proud of. They are not only the pride of our region's economic sector but also the pride of Russia as a whole," said Metshin.

Meanwhile, Kazan is the second most innovative Russian city after Moscow as there are 17 major laboratories and nine research centers in the city.

"We want to capitalize on the younger generation to maintain the leading role of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan," said the mayor. In the spring this year, Kazan hosted a new high-tech international tournament – the first-ever Games of the Future, featuring the combination of sports with artificial intelligence (AI).

The city has also hosted many other large-scale activities, including world championships, water sports events and university games.

BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The upcoming summit is the first to be held after the BRICS expansion in January when Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were included into the bloc.

Kazan to impress BRICS Summit participants with rich culture, vibrant economy: mayor

Kazan to impress BRICS Summit participants with rich culture, vibrant economy: mayor

Iraq has seen its aviation industry dealt a huge blow because of continued airspace closures and flight suspensions amid regional hostilities triggered by the recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran.

As security concerns persist while tensions remain high, Iraq announced on Friday it would extend the closure of its airspace for one more week as uncertainty over the conflict continues to hang in the air.

It is estimated that the country's aviation industry has lost more than 43 million U.S. dollars over the past month since the crisis erupted, with the war causing huge disruption to air travel across the region.

"After the closure of Iraqi airspace, airport operations were halted, and revenue from both arriving and departing flights was lost. This includes income from passenger services as well as overflying aircraft, which has significantly impacted overall revenues," said Maytham al-Safi, director of media office of the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.

The impact is being felt across the board, from government revenues to private businesses, as some of the leading travel agencies say bookings have completely collapsed, with some reporting daily passenger numbers dropping from around 100 to just five.

"Our company has been directly affected. We have four branches and around 80 employees, and the impact has been significant. We still have rent and other expenses to cover, so we are trying to adapt to whatever limited business is still possible," said Ahmed Khalid, managing director of the Safari Trip travel and tourism company in Baghdad.

With air travel no longer an option, many Iraqis are turning to overland routes -- often traveling for hours, even days, to reach neighboring countries like Türkiye. But the journey is not only longer and more expensive, it can also be highly risky.

"This situation creates real anxiety for families. It's not only the travelers who are at risk, but also the vehicles transporting them. These journeys can be dangerous. There is always the risk of accidents or even drone strikes. At the same time, costs have doubled, so people are facing both financial and safety pressures," said Anwar al-Mousawi, a local resident.

For many, a sense of frustration is growing the longer the current situation drags on, as civilians bear the consequences of a conflict they are not part of, and with no clear timeline for reopening Iraqi airspace, economic losses and public frustration are expected to deepen.

"The reality is, we are in a country that is not part of this war and did not start it, yet we are the ones paying the price," said al-Mousawi.

Iraq's aviation industry left grounded as Middle East crisis continues