Putin to discuss future strategic partnership development programme with Mongolian president

MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday will meet with Mongolian President Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj, who has arrived in Moscow to take part in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Victory in WWII, to discuss preparations of a programme for the development of strategic partnership between the two countries. "The two leaders are expected to exchange views on key issues of bilateral cooperation," Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov said. "In particular, it is planned to discuss the process of drafting a mid-term programme for the development of strategic partnership between Russia and Mongolia." "Special attention will be focused on economic cooperation," Ushakov said. Russia is Mongolia’s second trade partner after China, but bilateral trade has been decreasing in the recent years (in 2014 it dropped by seven percent to 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) due to falling global prices on fuels, which account for more than 70 percent of Russia’s exports to Mongolia. The sides will discuss measures to promote further development of large-scale joint ventures, such as the Ulan Bator Railway (Russian stakeholder - Russian Railways Co), the Erdenet enterprise and Mongolrostsevtmet (Rostec being stakeholder in both). Among other top priority areas of cooperation are transport, in particular Russian Railway’s participation in the modernization of Mongolia’s infrastructure, upgrading Mongolia’s fleet of motor vehicles by products of Russia’s car manufacturers GAZ, URAL and Paz; energy, in particular increasing of supplies of oil products and aircraft fuels, electricity; involvement of Russian companies to the construction and overhaul of Mongolia’s heat plants; and mining projects. "Another important topic is expanding interregional and cross-border cooperation," Ushakov noted, adding that intergovernmental agreements on temporary employment of citizens of one state on the territory of the other and on visa-free travel regime had come into force in 2014. "The two leaders are expected to address issues of Russia-Mongolia cooperation within international and regional organization, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where Mongolia enjoys the status of observer," the Russian president’s aide said. Read more