The mayor of the Russian city of Kazan, host of the just-concluded 16th BRICS Summit, says the significant infrastructure improvements made in preparation for the event will leave a lasting legacy for residents and vowed the city will continue to foster close ties with its Chinese sister cities.
Ilsur Metshin, Kazan's mayor, outlined some of the extensive work that went in to prepare the summit in a recent interview with China Global Television Network.
The three-day BRICS summit wrapped up on Thursday after gathering global leaders and officials in Kazan, the capital of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan. Notably the event was the first to be held since the expansion of the BRICS group earlier this year.
The emerging-market cooperative mechanism began with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and has now evolved into an influential international cooperation mechanism with an expanded membership. Besides the countries that officially joined the BRICS family on Jan 1, 2024, over 30 countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye and Azerbaijan have either formally applied for or expressed interest in membership.
In accommodating this expanded format as the host city, Metshin listed some of the major improvements seen in Kazan, and stressed these have been designed not only to cater for the summit but will also deliver lasting benefits to its residents.
"We have built a record number of parks and squares this year. We have rebuilt quite a lot of structures, and we have done some work on transport infrastructure, including a railway station. Our airport's throughput and capacity have been expanded and can now receive all types of aircraft at the same time. All these upgrades will remain after the BRICS Summit and will serve our residents and future visitors," said the mayor.
Kazan also enjoys strong ties with 10 Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen in southern China, Xi'an and Chengdu in the west, Qingdao in the east, as well as Harbin and Qiqihar in the north.
While acknowledging the ongoing exchanges and cooperation between these sister cities, Metshin also emphasized the importance of China-Russia relations as a key factor in promoting global peace.
"We have 10 sister cities with the People's Republic of China, so we are connected by real brotherly bonds. We are very active with those cities. We work together, we cooperate, and we constantly exchange delegations. China is our reliable, proven, true friend and partner. We believe that the Russia-China friendship is the future and the guarantee of peace throughout the world," he said.
Kazan mayor highlights how infrastructure upgrades made for BRICS summit will leave lasting legacy
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that the relationship between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stands at a new historical starting point.
Xi arrived in the DPRK capital of Pyongyang earlier on Monday to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.
Delivering a speech at a welcome banquet hosted by Kim, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and the China-DPRK relationship stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, noting that he has reached important consensus with Kim during his visit.
From the strategic perspective of the future and destiny of socialism, both leaders have agreed to seize the general trend of the times, respond to the shared aspirations of the two peoples, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, promote the high-level development of China-DPRK relations, jointly open up brighter prospects for the socialist cause of both countries, and contribute to the continuous progress of human society, Xi said.
The successful convening of the Ninth Congress of the WPK this year has made strategic plans and major arrangements for the long-term development of the Party and the country's cause, ushering in a new period of comprehensive development of the DPRK's socialist cause, Xi said.
As good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim, the DPRK people will successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set by the Ninth Congress of the WPK and make constant new achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK, Xi said.
On behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK, Kim extended the warmest welcome to Xi on his visit. Kim said that Pyongyang was filled with an atmosphere of friendship on this special day as the DPRK's Party, government and people warmly welcomed their most distinguished guest.
Noting that Xi's first overseas trip of the year had brought him to the DPRK, Kim said this fully demonstrated the great importance Xi attached to developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, and constituted the most valuable support for the DPRK's socialist cause.
Noting the meeting with Xi came nine months after their previous meeting, Kim said that during this meeting, they reached important consensus on further advancing DPRK-China relations with new contemporary connotations in light of new changing circumstances, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, which will surely accelerate the development of the DPRK-China friendship with profound historical traditions, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.
The DPRK people take heartfelt joy in the remarkable achievements made by the brotherly Chinese people, Kim said, expressing belief that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, the great Chinese people will surely create greater achievements in building a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the Second Centenary Goal, and completing the new journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi says China-DPRK ties stand at new historical starting point
