G.ZANDANSHATAR AT APTA MEETING

Ulaanbaatar, /MONTSAME/ The Minister of Foreign Affairs G.Zandanshatar participated in the 3rd meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) that took place December 15, 2009, in Seoul, the Republic of Korea.
During the meeting, the ABTA members--Bangladesh, China, India, Republic of Korea, Laos and Sri Lanka--discussed and ratified a report issued at the 35th meeting of the APTA's Standing committee. The members issued a statement and then signed the 4th stage talks of an agreement on promoting tariff, service, trade and investments.
G.Zandanshatar spoke about Mongolia's joining the APTA at a sub-meeting dedicated to membership issues. During this gathering he met his counterparts from the member-states and the authorities of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to share issues on the bilateral cooperation. The ESCAP and the APTA members appreciated the official request of Mongolia to become a member of the APTA.
At the Standing committee's meeting, Mongolia worked out its general plan on joining the APTA, and the sides decided to realize a preparation in frames of this plan.
The attendees concluded that this year's ministerial meeting was different from previous ones in terms of widening a membership and creating opportunities for Mongolia to carry out activities in regional trade and economic cooperation.
B.Khuder
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