Submitted by MONTSAME on

Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs of India, is paying an official visit to Mongolia on April 24-26, at the invitation of D.Tsogtbaatar, the Mongolian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
During the visit, the Ministers held official talks, co-chaired the 6th Meeting of the Mongolia-India Joint Committee for Cooperation and signed a protocol of the meeting. Following the meeting, a press briefing was held.
D.Tsogtbaatar, Minister of Foreign Affairs: We have exchanged views on development of the strategic partnership between Mongolia and India in political, security, defense, trade and investment, educational, health, cultural and humanitarian sectors, and bilateral cooperation at the regional and international levels.
The same day the Prime Minister received Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs of India. The Prime Minister stressed how the historic visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia in 2015 helped elevate bilateral ties to a new level.
Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh touched upon the Oil Refinery Project, which will be implemented with a USD 1 billion soft loan from the Government of India, requesting assistance in reducing the total cost of the project and seeking the possibility of carrying the project out within the soft loan.
For her part, Minister Sushma Swaraj informed that the matter of intensification of the project had been discussed at her meeting with Foreign Minister D.Tsogtbaatar, while adding that successful implementation of the project is a priority for the Indian Government as well.
Following the meeting, the Indian Foreign Minister paid a courtesy call on Parliament Speaker M.Enkbold.
The Minister expressed her pleasure at meeting the Speaker of Mongolian Parliament and said, “India and Mongolia have always been connected spiritually through religion. In this modern time, we are united by our democratic values and common future of intensive development.”
The Speaker also touched upon other aspects of bilateral cooperation such as the oil refinery project and religious studies pursued by Mongolians in India, requesting the Indian Government to pay attention to their health and safety.
The Minister noted the importance of efforts from both sides and active cooperation to accomplish the measures agreed on.

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