Defense Vice minister visits Australia

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ A delegation of the Ministry of Defense led by the Vice Minister A.Battor is paying an official visit to Australia February 9-11. The Australian Minister of defense Mr Kevin Andrews received the delegates at the Parliament House. Mr Andrews said Mongolia and Australia represent the common interest within the region through the defense sector cooperation. Then the sides discussed perspectives of the defense cooperation as well as the possibilities to work together in military trainings and peace-promoting operations. The delegation also held a meeting with the Secretary of Defense Mr Dennis Richardson to share with him views on the current state of the defense cooperation, regional security, military trainings and Mongolia’s participation in the international operations for promoting peace. A.Battor and D.Richardson signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Cooperation in Defense Sector”. This document is of great importance as it becomes the legal basis for the cooperation between Ministries in developing the relations, particularly in education and trainings for military personnel, in disaster risk reduction, in humanitarian frameworks, and in capacity building for peace-promoting operations. After this, the Vice Minister and accompanying him delegation visited the Australian Defense College and exchanged opinions on cooperation possibilities with the dean of the College Major-General Simone Wilkie. They also met with Lieutenant-colonel Ch.Battulga, the first Mongolian officer to study at the College’s Command-Staff school, and got au fait with his trainings. In accordance with the programme of the visit, the delegation is to lay wreaths at the Statue for the Fallen, visit Civil-Military Relations Center, and hold an official meeting with the Assistant Minister of Defense Stuart Robert. The visit will continue with the consultative meeting of the two Ministries. This is the first high level defense visit from Mongolia to Australia after a visit paid in 2012 by the Chairman of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces Lieutenant-General Ts.Byambajav.