President Putin attended award ceremony highlighting municipal service, cooperation, and development across regions.

On April 20–22, the 3th All-Russian Municipal Forum “Small Motherland – the Strength of Russia” took place at the National Center Russia in Moscow. The presence of over 60 foreign delegates from Abkhazia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan was a key feature of this year’s event.

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The forum’s program served as an important tool for “municipal diplomacy” and the exchange of successful practices for the international guests.

Prospects for humanitarian cooperation were discussed within the framework of the Sister Cities Forum, while a tour of the “Journey Across Russia” exhibition and the “Heart of the Motherland” festival were included in the cultural program, allowing foreign participants to explore the folk crafts and cuisine of Russian regions.

The forum, organized by the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government (VARMSU) with the support of the Presidential Administration, brought together nearly seven thousand representatives of municipal entities from across the country.

Dmitry Medvedev, Valentina Matvienko, Marat Khusnullin, and Maxim Oreshkin took part in the business program. First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko described the work of municipal employees as “selfless service.”

State awards were presented to 39 representatives from 30 constituent entities of the Russian Federation on the eve of Local Self-Government Day.

The central event of the forum was the awards ceremony for the laureates of the III All-Russian Municipal Award “Service.” Over 63,000 applications were submitted for the award, and more than 1.6 million Russians participated in the public vote.

The Supervisory Board, chaired by Sergei Kiriyenko, determined the winners and laureates in 11 categories. The new category “Unity of the Peoples of Russia – the Strength of the Country” was introduced for the first time and garnered nearly 271,000 votes.

President Vladimir Putin personally attended the ceremony and presented the award to Evgeny Filonov from the Kaluga Region, the winner in the “Courage and Heroism in Service to the Motherland” category.

The head of state particularly highlighted the work of municipal teams in the new territories and border regions, describing them as the backbone of a unified national team of administrators. Awards to the laureates were also presented by Tatiana Golikova, Artyom Zhoga, and Anna Tsivileva.

The dialogue held in Moscow has laid a solid foundation for implementing the best global and domestic practices in small towns and villages.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: All-Russian Municipal Forum

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