Mongolia-Japan cooperation in environment to be forwarded

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Minister of Environment, Green Development and Tourism D.Oyunkhorol MP Wednesday received visiting Mr Shigeo Kitamura, the Japan’s vice Minister of Environment. The sides touched upon several issues of the Mongolia-Japan cooperation in the environment sector. In frames of the low-carbon developmental partnership established between the governments of Mongolia and Japan, a document on realizing the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) was signed in January of 2013, and Mongolia is one of the countries to create this mechanism, said Ms Oyunkhorol, and asked the Japanese side to support projects to be implemented within the mechanism. At the meeting, the Minister Ms Oyunkhorol handed to the Japan’s Vice Minister a textbook on emission of air pollutants. Published at an order of the Ministry of Environment of Mongolia, this textbook was presented at a policy consultative meeting of the countries’ Ministries held in March of this year. A model project of Japan on natural tourism was successfully realized in natural reserved areas of Bulgan and Sukhbaatar aimags between 2012 and 2015, Mr Kitamura noted, hoping that the countries will implement specific projects on developing the eco-tourism. Moreover, the Japan’s Vice Minister asked the Minister to upgrade actions of the Freshwater Resource Management Center (FWRMC) which has been established with a non-refundable aid from the Japanese government. This center has been holding training on ecology for adolescents. In addition, Mr Kitamura proposed the Mongolian side to join the Asia Protected Areas Partnership (APAP) which was co-founded by six Asian countries in 2013. The Minister Ms Oyunkhorol expressed thanks to Mr Kitamura for putting forward some valuable ideas, and highlighted that his visit is paid to Mongolia in times of discussing some urgent matters of environment, and then said Mongolia aspires to join the APAP. Ms Oyunkhorol pointed out that Mongolia will carry out actions of the FWRMC in accordance with a management formulated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). She added that Mongolia intends to launch the environmental expert exchange program in this year. Following the meeting, a cooperation memorandum between the countries on environment cooperation was signed by Mr M.Khurelsukh, the Mongolia’s Vice Minister of Environment, Green Development and Tourism; and his counterpart of Japan Mr Kitamura.