Mongolia and Russia to cooperate in preventing forest fires

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ At its meeting on Friday, the cabinet decided to establish an intergovernmental agreement with Russia. By this agreement, Mongolia wants to, together with Russia, focus on preventing steppe and forest fires near Mongolia-Russia, to reduce damages possible and to put out fires. The two sides called their territories 10 km inside from the borders as protection areas, and they must protect them from fires in accordance with the agreement. Mongolia borders with Russia to the north with 2,190 km. Recent years, forest and steppe fires occurred several times near the Mongolia-Russia borders, causing great environment damages and financial losses, for instance, 39 fires occurred around the borders in Dornod, Khentii, Selenge, Khovsgol, Uvs and Zavkhan aimags in 2006-2009. It caused financial losses of 5.4 billion MNT. By the agreement, the countries will take permanent measures for putting out fires and carrying out protections. Officials of the Forestry Agency of Russia and Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Green Development, and self-governance bodies shall play main roles in realizing works reflected in the agreement.