Ilsur Metshin and Antonio Guterres met at the Kazan City Hall

Today, Mayor Ilsur Metshin welcomed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the Kazan City Hall. During the visit, the guest was given a guided tour of the 19th-century building and had an opportunity to learn about the city's history. In return, Antonio Guterres extended an invitation to the Presidium and chairman of the Association of Cities and Municipalities from BRICS+ countries to participate in the UN meeting.

«We are happy to see you in the historic building, in the City Hall. It is a great honor for us to have you here. The municipalities of the world know you as a great friend who supports our movement. You unite all of us and do it with love for people», – Ilsur Metshin said. Antonio Gutteris thanked the Mayor in Russian.

The UN Secretary General was informed that the City Hall was built in 1854 for the Noble Assembly, and during Soviet times, meetings of the Supreme Council of the Republic were held there, as well as the Officers’ Community Center. Since 1997, it has served as the Kazan City Hall and held sessions of the City Duma, as well as exhibitions and charity concerts.

Ilsur Metshin told Antonio Guterres the history of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. One of the most important Russian religious sites appeared in Kazan in either 1552 or 1553, and in June 1579, a fire destroyed part of the city and the icon disappeared. According to legend, a nine-year-old girl, Matrona, saw the Virgin Mary in a dream and was told to look for the icon. She found it at a depth of about one and a half meters, and on the site where it was found, Tsar Ivan IV decided to build the Bogoroditsky Convent, which is now known as the Kazan Bogoroditsky Monastery.

Antonio Gutteris has invited Ilsur Metshin, Chairman of the Association of Cities and Municipalities of BRICS+ countries, to participate in a UN meeting. The association was founded in Kazan this June.

Since 2019, Metshin has also chaired the United Nations Advisory Committee on Local Authorities (UNACLA). He was re-elected to this position for a second term in 2022 and will continue serving until 2026. The association represents the interests of over 323000 municipalities and regions worldwide.

Antonio Guterres spoke at a plenary session in the «outreach/BRICS plus» format, which was held by Russian President Vladimir Putin. A closed-door meeting of the leaders took place on the final day of the summit.

The BRICS Summit took place in Kazan on 22-24 October. The city welcomed representatives from more than 30 countries and six international organizations. On the second day of the summit, the Kazan Declaration was adopted at an expanded meeting. It contains general assessments of the state of affairs, the results of the Russian presidency of the association, and outlines guidelines for cooperation in the long term. The document is planned to be distributed at the UN.