US vice-president arrives in Mongolia for official visit

ULAN-BATOR, August 22 (Itar-Tass) -- US Vice-President Joseph Biden
will discuss in Ulan-Bator prospects for further cooperation of the United
States and Mongolia. Biden arrived in Mongolia for an official visit on
Monday at the invitation of the Mongolian prime minister.
In an interview with the Mongolia press, the US vice-president said
that the United States supports prospering Mongolia which is actively
participating in the region's life. According to Biden, Mongolia is making
an inestimable contribution to maintaining peace on earth in cooperation
with America. As Biden said, he came to thank Mongolia for its
participation in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As Biden noted, cooperation of the United States and Mongolia is based
on similar public rights and tasks in the non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons, protection and advancement of human rights, and intensifying of
trade and investment relations between the countries. The United States,
according to him, pins great hopes on broadening economic cooperation with
Mongolia. He is sure that their economic relations will bring benefit to
both sides. US companies, as he said, are ready to make a contribution to
the development of Mongolia's mining sector, energy, infrastructure and
tourism.
The programme of Biden's stay in Ulan-Bator envisages his talks with
Prime Minister Sukhabaataryn Batbold, as well as a meeting with Mongolian
President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj. This is the second in the history visit
of the US vice-president to Mongolia. In 1944, US Vice-President Henry
Wallace visited Mongolia, the local press notes.