Ilsur Metshin: “We are ready to share our experience with Shanghai”

(KZN.RU, August 27, Alena Miroshnichenko). Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, met with Ying Yu, the Mayor of Shanghai, yesterday. The city governors discussed cooperation within the framework of WorldSkills, as well as the handover of the flag of the world championship of professional excellence, which will be held today at the stadium “Kazan Arena” during the closing ceremony. Shanghai takes the relay of the world championship where the competition will be held in 2021.

Evgeniya Lodvigova, the first vice-mayor of the capital of Tatarstan, Rustem Gafarov, the first deputy head of the Kazan Executive Committee, Ildar Shakirov, the deputy head of the Kazan Executive Committee, and Daria Sannikova, the director of the Committee for Tourism Promotion, took part in the meeting at the GTRK “Korston”.

The Shanghai delegation was represented by Peng Chenlei, the vice mayor of the city, Zhao Zhuping, the deputy general secretary of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, Zhang Xiaosong, the general director of the city’s foreign affairs department, Zhao Yongfeng, the general manager of the Shanghai Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, and Lyu Guangyong, the deputy general director of the Shanghai foreign affairs department.

“Our countries are linked by decades of joint friendship and numerous projects”, noted Ilsur Metshin. “It is symbolic that we will pass the WorldSkills flag to such a dynamically developing city like Shanghai”. The Mayor also emphasized that the city was greatly helped in holding the Universiade in 2013 by the support of colleagues from the Chinese Shenzhen where the sports competition was held in 2011.

“After the championship is over, we are ready to share our experience with Shanghai. Despite the fact that many major events took place in Kazan, including the World Cup last year, each competition has its own specifics. Now we envy you in a good way, because the preparation is a great time that you have to go through”, said I. Metshin. During this period, the city and the federal government, as well as the WorldSkills family, became one team. The Mayor of Kazan wished his colleagues success in holding the upcoming championship.

The head of Shanghai congratulated the Mayor of Kazan on the successful holding of the 45th WorldSkills Kazan 2019. “We want to take after you in all the best practices of the WorldSkills. We are ready to fulfill all the promises we spoke about during the application for the 46th WorldSkills Championship in Shanghai”, he said and marked that the city team was carefully preparing for the upcoming event.

“Chinese-Russian bilateral relations are now experiencing the best period in their history”, marked Ying Yong. He added that Shanghai is always ready to develop relations and establish inter-regional cooperation, including with Kazan. As the guest noted, both cities are economic and cultural-historical centers. “We are ready to further promote our cooperation in the field of economics, trade, science, technology, and education”, he noted. The Mayor of Kazan supported him.

At the end of the meeting, Ying Yong invited the delegation of the Tatarstan’s capital in November to visit the 2nd Chinese International Fair in Shanghai, after which the parties exchanged gifts.