Medvedev to make official visit to Mongolia

MOSCOW, August 25 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will
make an official visit to Mongolia on August 25-26, at the invitation of
his Mongolian colleague, President Tsahiagiyn Elbegdorzh.
The visit will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the victory in
the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, named after a river of the same name, a
Kremlin source told Itar-Tass.
The heads of the two states will attend the jubilee events and hand in
Russian and Mongolian decorations to war veterans.
"This event fits well into the framework of the big work which is
being carried out in our country and in other allied states in connection
with the approaching 65th anniversary of the victory in WWII," according
to presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko.
"This visit will not only emphasize the Red Army's role but will also
underline the contribution of our Mongolian colleagues to the joint
victory," he said.
Mongolian war veterans will receive commemorative medals and orders as
part of the celebrations of the Khalkhin Gol victory. Wreaths will be laid
to the monument to Soviet military leader Marshall Georgy Zhukov.
Medvedev and his Mongolian counterpart will deliver speeches at a
special meeting devoted to the 70th anniversary of the victory in the
Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
Top-level talks are scheduled for August 25. Medvedev also plans to
meet with Mongolian Prime Minister Sanj Bayar and the leaders of the
national parliament. Trade and economic cooperation are expected to
dominate the talks.
"Russian-Mongolian relations are strategic, and it's very important
that we are not witnessing any pauses or intervals in our bilateral
strategic partnership after the presidential election in Mongolia. The
previously set plans in the trade and economic sphere and other branches
and industries are being consistently implemented. We feel that the new
Mongolian leadership is set to preserve all the achievements," a Kremlin
official said.
Priority during the talks will be given to trade, economic and
investment cooperation, including the implementation of major joint
projects in the mining industry, transport and agriculture," he added.
The parties will discuss how to ensure sustainable growth of bilateral
trade turnover that had exceeded 1.3 billion U.S. dollars last year.
"Mongolian partners are interested to increase the export of livestock
products to neighboring Siberian regions and to expand cooperation in the
agro-industrial sector in general, including supplies of Russian
agricultural machinery, grain and mineral fertilizers to be financed out
of a loan issued by Rosselkhozbank," the official said.
The parties will also explore how to raise the efficiency of the
Erdenet and Mongolrostsvetmet Companies that are the driving force of
Russian-Mongolian cooperation. "After a new Russian shareholder, the
state-owned corporation Resteknologii, has joined these companies, big
investment programs are being considered," he went on to say.
Other topics for discussion include transport cooperation. The Russian
Railways open joint-stock company has recently been appointed a managing
company of the Russian-Mongolian open joint-stock society Ulan Bator
Railways. The sides will also consider plans of the state corporation
Rosatom to establish cooperation with Mongolia in the prospecting,
production and processing of uranium ores at the Dornod deposits in
eastern Mongolia.
"The Russian side is planning to confirm all the trends in bilateral
cooperation that have been secured in the last seven years. It will try to
create additional conditions for more effective interaction on specific
economic issues. This is particularly important in conditions of the
global economic crisis when our Mongolian partners and we are facing
hardships. But this is not the reason for interrupting or scrapping
long-term mutually-beneficial projects," the Kremlin official said.
The sides will also discuss intensification of cross-border and
inter-regional ties, cultural exchanges and the training of Mongolian
experts at Russian educational establishments, and the promotion of the
Russian language in Mongolia. The Russian Center and a festival of Russian
Culture in Mongolia will be opened in Ulan Bator during the visit.
When discussing geopolitical and regional issues, the parties will
exchange views on the U.N. reform, integration in the Asia-Pacific Region
and response to new threats and challenges, including climate changes.
The heads of state will discuss "the settlement of the situation on
the Korean Peninsula and support to Mongolia as a state free of nuclear
weapons".
A declaration on the development of strategic partnership between
Russia and Mongolia, and some other documents are expected to be signed.
Presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko told Tass that in the course of the
visit, "Russia intends to confirm the trends in bilateral cooperation in
the past seven years, and try and create additional conditions for more
effective interaction in concrete economic themes."
It is particularly important because both Russia and Mongolia are
having difficulties amidst the world economic crisis. But long-term
mutually advantageous projects should not be scaled down, or take pauses
or breaks because of this," he underlined.
-0-myz