Z.Enkhbold meets Speaker of House of Representatives

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Withing the official visit to Japan, the Chairman of the State Great Khural (parliament) Z.Enkhbold met Tuesday with Mr Nobutaka Machimura, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (lower house of parliament) of Japan, in Tokyo. Mr Machimura said he is glad to meet with the Speaker of Mongolian on the day of the 43rd anniversary of the diplomatic relations, and underlined that a signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement was an important step to forward the bilateral friendly relations. He said the Japan-Mongolia relations and cooperation started this year with a great success, for example, governors of all provinces of Mongolia visited Japan to share experiences and the Prime Minister Ch.Saikhanbileg paid a working visit to Japan. Inter-citizen ties have been brought into a newer level, and the bilateral ties can go higher, Mr Machimura said, adding that Japanese parliament will make big efforts for the sake of the bilateral relations. Mr Enkhbold thanked the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the audience and noted that developing of the relations and cooperation with Japan is one of the priorities of Mongolia’s foreign policy. He also emphasized that the State Great Khural attaches a great importance to the ties and cooperation with Japan, our "Third Neighbour". He went on that the House of Representatives of Japan’s parliament, its members, and members of the Japan-Mongolia group at the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), headed by Mr M.Hayashi, have significantly contributed to the development of the bilateral relations. He expressed a satisfaction with a strengthening of the mutual trust and widening of the relations and cooperation thanks to the joint efforts. Mr Enkhbold also said Mongolia wants to deepen the ties in politics, economy, trade and investment spheres in accordance with the strategic partnership principle, and hoped that Japan will support Mongolia in exploiting the Japanese latest progressive and environmentally-friendly technologies in industry, infrastructure, mineral exploration and extraction. Mongolian parliament recently ratified the Economic Partnership Agreement, signed by the two Prime Ministers, "this document is of high importance in intensifying the ties between two private sectors, in augmenting investments, in creating a basis for the mutually-beneficial and complementary economic ties," he said. Noting that the inter-citizen ties plays a main role in the relations, Mr Enkhbold hoped that the Japanese side will take specific measures for facilitating the terms for Mongolians in visiting Japan and for exempting Mongolians from the visa requirement. He said he is happy with undertaking first steps for this issue during the talks between the two countries’ PMs and a meeting between the Mongolian PM and members of the Japan-Mongolia group at the LDP. Mr Enkhbold said Mongolia wants to receive support from Japan in preparing professional cadres and in increasing a number of Mongolian students to study in Japanese universities with Japanese governmental scholarships. Mongolia and Japan develop the ties at the international arena, they support each other, Enkhbold noted and emphasized that Mongolia always appreciates Japan’s contribution to the United Nations and that it will back Japan’s seeking a permanent membership in the UN Security Council. The Speaker also invited Mr Machimura to Mongolia. Present at the meeting were N.Battsereg MP, a member of Mongolia-Japan inter-parliamentary group; S.Batbold, head of the parliamentary Standing committee on environment, food and agriculture and deputy head of the inter-parliamentary group; D.Gankhuyag MP, a head of the inter-parliamentary group; J.Batzandan MP, a member of the inter-parliamentary group; S.Khurelbaatar, the Ambassador of Mongolia to Japan; A.Gansukh, an advisor to the Speaker; and other officials.