During the III International Municipal BRICS Forum the representatives of state and municipal authorities, business and scientific community of the BRICS and BRICS + countries discussed the challenges to sustainable development, municipal cooperation of the BRICS countries, the development of innovation, as well as a number of other aspects related to economic development of regions and municipalities in new conditions.

Aleksei Kudrin, the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, addressed the participants of the Forum. In his speech, he stressed the importance of responding to the two key challenges to sustainable development - the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate change. Despite the global nature of these challenges, the main damage from the pandemic and climate change falls on the municipalities. According to the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber in these conditions it is vital to encourage cooperation between the control and accounting bodies of the BRICS countries.

Aleksei Kudrin also shared the experience of interaction of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation with the control and accounting bodies of Russian regions. Such experience includes both auditing the spheres most affected by the pandemic, and increasing the importance of whole government audit and can successfully be used by the BRICS countries.

Address by Aleksei Kudrin to the participants of the International Municipal BRICS Forum 2021