BRICS to jointly tackle urbanization challenges

China.org.cn, December 3, 2011

Five fast-growing emerging economies on Saturday agreed to enhance local-level collaborations and join hands to tackle urbanization challenges.

"It is of great importance to promote common development of friendship cities and local governments of BRICS," said a cooperation declaration issued Saturday at the 1st BRICS Friendship Cities and Local Governments Cooperation Forum.

The forum, which closed Saturday in Sanya of south China's Hainan Province, brought together politicians, scholars and business people from the BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, who have closely exchanged views on issues of shared concern and discussed future cooperation.

Delegates at the forum agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in fields of provincial and local partnerships, including infrastructure, human settlements, green economy, education, culture, friendship cities and the transfer of appropriate technologies, said the declaration.

The forum will give special attention to cooperating, collaborating and sharing experiences and best practices to tackle the challenges of urbanization, the document said.

The five-country bloc also decided to make the forum an annual event as a supporting activity of the BRICS Leaders Meeting, which will be held by the hosting country of the leaders meeting.

The second forum will be convened in India next year, according to the declaration.