PM MEETS EC PRESIDENT

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Prime Minister N.Altanhuyag Sunday met with the President of the European Commission (EC) Jose Manuel Barroso. Starting the meeting, the Premier expressed Mongolia’s willingness to intensify its relations and cooperation with the European Union (EU) and its member-countries within its "Third Neighbour" policy. He said that the Government for reforms, implementing several mutual projects, has brought the cooperation with EU into a newer level, and cited a signing of partnership and cooperation agreement between Mongolia and EU as an example. The PM also briefed on the 15th Mongolia-EU joint committee meeting in Ulaanbaatar, at which the sides sought for ways to enhance results of EU projects and programs in Mongolia and to raise trade and investments levels, before signing a joint statement on the Development Cooperation Program for 2014-2020. In response, Mr Barroso requested the Premier to render a support in deciding the main directions of 2014-2020 Development cooperation and in intensifying a preparation for the joint projects to be implemented during that period. "2014 will be a significant year for our cooperation, as it remarks the 25th anniversary of the Mongolia-EU cooperation, and we want to celebrate it with greater success in mutual trade, investments and cooperation," Mr Barroso said. Mr Altankhuyag expressed a gratitude to Mr Barroso for EU’s support to Mongolia that has positive impacts on the commercial turnover and for its receiving Mongolia’s request to continue the utilization of the GSP+ scheme. "We are interested in importing pasture animal meat and unfertilized vegetables to EU markets," the PM said. "We also believe that EU and Mongolia will further cooperate in projects to introduce the Euro standards and to build a quality control laboratory complex here". The PM Altanhuyag thanked the European Commission President for visiting Mongolia and wished him a pleasant stay here. EU has become our third biggest trade partner after the two neighbors, and the leading investor. Last year, the commercial turnover between Mongolia and EU reached 770 million USD with the second largest investments after China.