Tehran: Mehdi Chamran, head of the Islamic City Council of Tehran, has announced that the Iranian and Russian capitals have agreed to expand urban cooperation, emphasizing the long-standing ties between Tehran and Moscow’s municipal institutions. Chamran, currently in Russia, made this announcement during his attendance at the signing ceremony of the Parliamentary Movement of the BRICS Capitals and the BRICS Urban Future Forum.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Chamran highlighted that the bilateral relations between Tehran and Moscow date back to 2004, when the cities established official contacts and signed a sister-city agreement. Following his meeting with Aleksei Shaposhnikov, Chairman of Moscow’s City Duma, Chamran underscored the mutual desire to enhance collaboration between the capitals. He pointed out that stronger intercity relations among BRICS member states could reinforce the bloc’s efforts to counter unilateralism.

Chamran further emphasized that the success of BRICS will deepen with extended cooperation beyond national governments to include cities and citizens, fostering solidarity among the peoples of member nations. This unity, he noted, could empower independent nations to collectively stand against Western unilateral policies, particularly those led by the United States.

The signing ceremony, hosted by the Moscow City Duma, saw participation from representatives of Tehran, Moscow, Addis Ababa, Havana, Minsk, and Tshwane, with Beijing also supporting the initiative. The declaration aims to establish an international mechanism for dialogue among city councils of BRICS capitals.

The BRICS Urban Future Forum is set to commence on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, bringing together delegates from over 70 countries to exchange best practices and promote sustainable urban development.