(KZN.RU,
October 20). Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, was elected as the deputy
chairman of the Committee on urgent issues of the Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE). A secret ballot was held on October 19
in Strasbourg (France) under the XXXI plenary session of the Congress.
The Council
of Europe's leadership praised the professionalism of Ilsur Metshin, all labor
activity of which is connected with the municipal service. The head of the
capital of Tatarstan has been nominated as a strong manager who works as the
mayor for 17 years and has vast experience in dealing with urban issues. The
capital of the RT made a significant leap in its development, and it has become
one of the most popular and comfortable for living cities in Russia, and has
received wide international acclaim in the time that he leads Kazan.
The Council
of Europe was presented with 12 priorities that reflect further growth points
of the Tatarstan’s capital. All of them coincide with the main priorities,
identified by the Congress of the Council of Europe. The Mayor of Kazan also
spoke in detail about the development of the capital of Tatarstan, about
solving of environmental issues, transport maintenance, improvement, about
positive changes in the quality of the urban environment, increasing in the
duration of citizens’ life, increasing investments and tourist flow, holding
international events in the capital of Tatarstan.
Members of
the group also took into account the extensive experience of Ilsur Metshin in
the international activity. For years, he is re-elected to leadership positions
of major international organizations. He is a member of the UN Advisory Board
on Local Government, the President of the Eurasian department and co-president
of the World Organization “United Cities and Local Governments”. In 2012, I.
Metshin, as the sole representative of Russia, met with the UN general
secretary Pan Gi-Moon in the delegation of mayors, members of the UCLG. In
addition, the management experience of the Mayor of Kazan has appeared in
demand and the development of domestic football. The Mayor of Kazan became a
member of the new Executive Committee of the Russian Football Union (RFU). It
should be noted that no less worthy representatives of Russian regions were
nominated among the possible candidates for one of the congressional
committees.
The
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is a
consultative body of the Council of Europe, composed of representatives of
local and regional authorities of states: members of the Council of Europe.
CLRAE Plenary sessions are held twice a year: in March and October. Ilsur Metshin,
the Mayor of Kazan, was approved by the delegation of the Russian Federation to
participate in the Congress by the Russian President decree №217-rp of July 21,
2016.
Lyudmila
Andreeva, the secretary of the Kazan City Duma, said that Russia presented at
the Congress a “very substantial part of the delegation”. Despite the fact that
the composition is greatly renewed, its base includes influential and respected
leaders. “These are people who work in in the Council of Europe not for the
first year and are able to defend Russia's interests in this international
organization”, marked L. Andreeva.
The
delegations are divided on the Chamber of Regions and the Chamber of Local
Authorities. Svetlana Orlova, the governor of the Vladimir region, Vladimir Varnavsky,
the chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Omsk region, Alexander
Drozdenko, the governor of the Leningrad region, Alexei Ostrovsky, the governor
of the Smolensk region, Dmitry Azarov, the chairman of the Federation Council
Committee on the federal structure, regional policy, local government and
Northern affairs (the former Mayor of Samara), represent the Chamber of regions
among others. “Dmitry Azarov has vast experience and is known both in Russia
and abroad”, said L. Andreeva.
Ilsur
Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, Anatoly Lokot, the Mayor of Novosibirsk, Stanislav
Mosharov, the chairman of the Chelyabinsk City Duma (also the chairman of the
Union of Russian cities), Evgeny Arapov, the head of Orenburg, represent the
Chamber of Local Authorities.
It is
noteworthy that the Russian delegation is represented by a large number of
women (17 out of 36 members). Gender policy of the Council of Europe affects
the composition of any delegation, said Lyudmila Andreeva. The approved Russian
delegation will participate in the activities of the Congress from 2016 to
2020.
The meeting
of the party groups (the four of them) was held on October 18 within the
framework of the session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of
Europe. The “Independent and Liberal Democrats” group (which includes the
Russian delegation) identified their candidates in the various structural units
of the CLRAE. In particular, in the three existing committees: the Monitoring
Committee, the Management Committee, and the Committee on topical issues. A
chairman and five substituents are elected in each committee. A candidate from
Germany has been proposed for the post of the chairman of the committee on
issues, 6 candidates nominated for the substituents: the representatives of Romania,
Russia (Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan), Germany, France, Ukraine and
Armenia.
Ilsur
Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, was elected as the deputy chairman of the
Committee on urgent issues of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of
Europe (CLRAE) on the results of the secret ballot, which was held on October
19.