PREMIER RECEIVES GERMANY’S FOREIGN MINISTER

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag met Monday with Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany. Regarding the visit of Germany government's member to our country as an expression of the importance the new Federal Cabinet of Germany attaches to Mongolia, Mr Altankhuyag said his country also gives significance to its relations and cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany, "our main partner nation in the European Union". The two countries with their long-lasting and friendly relations have great opportunities to advance the economic ties, he went on. Mongolia will support the cooperation particularly in mining and agriculture spheres, is ready to cooperate in manufacturing high quality bio-products from pasture-raised animal husbandry and fertilizer-free agronomy, he said. Under the tourism industry cooperation, the Germans have been awarded visa-free travel rights to Mongolia, and the air transport between the two countries has been regularized, Mr Altankhuyag noted. While participating in the 2015 ITB Berlin international tourism exhibition as an official partner, Mongolia is planning a wide range of performances to promote its cultural heritages, he said and, as a head of a national committee responsible for the preparation for the exhibition, asked a support from the German side for jointly organizing the events. This is the first visit since a Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Germany visited Mongolia 18 years ago, Mr Steinmeier noted and expressed a willingness to increase a frequency of high level visits and to stimulate a successful collaboration in cultural, scientific and archeological development, as well as economic relations between the two countries. The third meeting of an intergovernmental working group of Mongolia and Germany responsible for cooperation in mining, industry and technology sectors is scheduled soon to discuss negotiations and initiatives put forward during official visit of Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel to Mongolia in 2011 and a state visit of the President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj to Germany in 2012.