Olga Guseva: "The Nizhny Novgorod region has 19 twin cities in BRICS countries"

      June 16, 2026 16:13 Politics "The Nizhny Novgorod region has 85 twin cities, 19 of which are in BRICS countries, highlighting the active cooperation of our municipalities with the participants of this intergovernmental association," noted the Minister of International and Interregional Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Olga Guseva. The first BRICS summit took place exactly 17 years ago on June 16, 2009. According to the minister, Russia's presidency in BRICS in 2024 gave a special impetus to enhancing interaction, during which Nizhny Novgorod became one of the main federal venues for significant events. The region hosted six events: meetings of foreign ministers, ecology and industry, the Forum of Twin Cities and Municipalities of BRICS countries, a scientific and practical forum on financial monitoring issues, as well as a meeting of the working group on information and communication technologies (ICT). "We became the first Russian region where, at the initiative of Governor Gleb Nikitin, a comprehensive program for implementing cooperation with BRICS countries was adopted. Last year, the second program for 2025-2027 was approved. It includes more than 110 events in various fields, including industry, education, agriculture, culture, and sports. I am confident that our cooperation with BRICS countries will open new horizons for the development of the region and bring tangible results for all its residents," emphasized Olga Guseva. To date, the education sector is developing particularly successfully, the minister noted. "In the 2025-2026 academic year, more than 1,400 students from BRICS countries studied at Nizhny Novgorod universities, accounting for 20 percent of the total number of foreign students in the region, which is about 7,000 annually. In addition, the region is actively promoting educational standards abroad: NGLU named after Dobrolyubov opened a Russian language center in Addis Ababa, and NGPU named after Kozma Minin created an Open Education Center based at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in the Indian city of Meerut," said Olga Guseva. Another important area of cooperation is culture. Notable projects include the tours of the Nizhny Novgorod Symphony Orchestra in China, Brazilian film festivals in the capital of the Volga region, celebrations of the Chinese New Year, and much more. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999-2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+