RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY ABOUT FORTHCOMING VISIT OF PUTIN

Ulanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Russian ITAR TASS news agency gives following highlight to Mr Putin's working visit to Mongolia. The article is named "Putin in Mongolia to reach agreement on abrogation of visas" His visit is timed to coincide with the historic date--the 75th anniversary of the victory on the Khalkin-Gol River, the Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. "A sizeable package of documents for signature has been prepared for the visit. There will be 13 of them and the most significant is an Agreement on terms for reciprocal travel of citizens, that is, the introduction of a visa-free regime". Ushakov recalled that the visa-free regime had been suspended by the Mongolian side in 1994. The present decision, in his view, "will give an additional impetus to the development of mutually beneficial business, cultural and tourism contacts". Yet another important document to be signed during the visit is an Agreement between the Russian Railways Company (RZD) and the Mongolian Ministry of Roads and Transport on strategic partnership in the modernization and development of the Ulaanbaatar Railway, Ushakov pointed out. The documents prepared for signing also include an Agreement on the establishment of a trans-border wildlife reserve "The Source of the Amur River", a Protocol on technical military assistance to Mongolia free of charge, an Agreement on readmission, an Agreement on cooperation between the Ministries of Justice, a Memorandum on the development of trade-and-economic relations, a Memorandum on mutual understanding between Aeroflot and "MIAT"-Mongolian Airlines, and an Agreement between Rosneft petroleum company and the Mongolian Ministry of Education and Science on the training of Mongolians in the Rosneft partner institutions of higher learning. Talks between Putin and Mongolia's President Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj will precede a documents signing ceremony. "The sides will hold business talks with an emphasis on the economy," the Kremlin official said. He emphasized that Moscow is dissatisfied with how economic cooperation between Russia and Mongolia is proceeding. Ushakov pointed out, "Cooperation in trade-and-economic sphere is developing too calmly of late, even with a certain negative trend, although Russia still ranks second in Mongolia's foreign trade after China". Ushakov said that trade turnover had been declining recently: in 2013 it decreased by almost 16%, down to $1.6 billion and by another 13% in the first half of 2014. The Kremlin associates such dynamics with a contraction of deliveries of petroleum products, machinery and equipment. "The sides are expected actively to discuss this state of affairs and the Presidents are to assign their governments to prepare a kind of 'roadmap' on the development and deepening of cooperation," Ushakov said. He pointed out that the roadmap "will direct both sides to step up and widrn trade-and-economic contacts, and to launch new joint projects". On Wednesday afternoon, the Russian and Mongolian leaders will attend a ceremonial function dedicated to one of major events in the common history of Russia and Mongolia. The Battle of Khalkin-Gol had been fought in in the period from May to September of 1939. At that time Soviet and Mongolian troops routed the forces of Japan's Kwantung army that had invaded the Mongolian People's Republic. The Soviet-Mongolian victory made it possible to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Mongolia, and exerted a substantial influence on Japan's decision not to enter the war against the USSR on the side of Nazi Germany. Ushakov specified that Putin would lay flowers at the monument to Marshal Georgy Zhukov, who commanded the 1st army group which participated in the fighting in the area of Khalkin-Gol River, and visit Marshal Zhukov's house museum. The upcoming trip will be Putin's third one. In 2000 he visited that country in his capacity of president and held talks with its leader and nine years later as Head of Government. The President of the Russian Federation will arrive in Ulaanbaatar from Amur Region where he inspected the Vostochny (eastern) space port and a section of the Chita-Khabarovsk motor road.