February 20, 2008, Moscow City Hall. The International Assembly ofcapitals and metropolises of CIS countries (IACM) took part in theCoordination inter-industry meeting dedicated to the internationalactivities of the Moscow City Government in the year 2007.

The main report was presented by Georgy Muratov, the Head of the Foreign Economic and International Relations Department of Moscow city.  Mr. Muratov announced the results of the international activities of the Moscow City Government in the year 2007 and the priority areas of international cooperation between Moscow and foreign countries. He especially focused on widening of cooperation with CIS countries. 

Also Mr. Muratov stressed the importance of the activities held by the Moscow Houses that are expected to become effective means of mutually beneficial cooperation. Currently the Moscow Houses work in Riga, Sophia, Sevastopol, and Erevan and actually serve as embassies and trade representatives. The tendency to develop such kind of international cooperation is recognized as one of the most effective and deserving to be a focus of attention of the Moscow City Government?s departments, partner organizations and units. Now a Moscow House is being built in Astana (the capital of Kazakhstan). Also the Mayor?s decision on building of a Moscow House in Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan) is signed. 

The International Assembly of capitals and metropolises was represented by its Executive Vice-President Mikhail Sokolov. Mr. Sokolov told about the international Forum ?Megapolis: 21 century? that is being prepared under the auspices of the Moscow City Government. A range of activities will be held in the framework of the Forum: a plenary meeting aimed to provide discussions on the main theme ?Metropolises ? a resource of social and economic development of countries?, debriefing of the first CIS review competition ?The best CIS city?, and international socially oriented expo ?Megapolis: 21st century?. Also it will include the international conference ?Electronic city: looking into the future?? where the problems of electronic communication development in urban environment will be discussed and the experience of Moscow and regions will be presented.

Mr. Sokolov brought into focus the importance of the coming Forum for cities of the Russian Federation and CIS. At the very beginning the idea of the Forum has attracted much attention of the representatives of all the levels of power and organizations involved in development of inter-city, interregional and international cooperation. The Forum is being organized under the patronage of the Government and federal assembly of the Russian Federation, CIS Executive committee, EurAsEC, the Ministry of regional development of the Russian Federation, Euro-Asia regional Section of UCLG, and other big inter-city and non-governmental organizations.

The Foreign Economic Department together with the International Assembly of capitals and metropolises of CIS countries and other departments of Moscow city plan to hold the 12th IACM session in Rostov-na-Donu (Russian Federation) in October 2008, the International Economic Forum in Astana city on June 6, 2008, the International IACM seminar ?Investments in communal services of metropolises: problems and solutions? in Sukhumi (Abkhazia Republic, Georgia) in June 2008, the 8th International conference ?Cities and regions. Loans as a means of economic policy? in May 2008, Moscow, the 8th International Symposium ?City. Economy. Energy? in the framework of the 27th conference-expo ?Moscow ? energetically effective city? in November 2008 in Moscow, and the 5th Interregional Conference ?Moscow and regions: cooperation in construction industry? scheduled for December 2008.

20.02.2008

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