OREANDA-NEWS. March 17, 2009. “We are drafting an agreement between Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Department of Atomic Energy of Mongolia in order to develop our cooperation with Mongolia in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy,” says a source from the Cabinet of Ministers of Russia.

Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Mongolia Sanj Bayar are meeting in Moscow today, Mar 17 2009.

The premiers are planning to discuss aspects of Russian-Mongolian strategic partnership with focus on trade-economic and investment relations. 

Particularly, they will consider the prospects of involvement of Russian companies in the development of big deposits of mineral resources and implementation of joint projects in the field of ore mining and processing.

“Considering the participation of Rostechnologies State Corporation, as new Russian shareholder, in Russian-Mongolian “Erdenet” and “mongolRosTsvetMet” joint ventures, we are planning to discuss ways to modernize and to enhance the efficiency of these companies,” says the source.

Now that the Mongolian shareholder of Ulan Bator Railways joint venture given its consent to committing the state-owned Russia shares to the trust of Russian Railways OJSC, the parties are planning to consider the possibilities of enlarging bilateral cooperation in the field of railway transportation.

Putin and Bayar will also discuss the possibility of using Rosselkhozbank’s credits for financing the supplies of Russian grain, agricultural equipment and fertilizers to Mongolia.

Special attention will be paid to cultural, educational and humanitarian relations, particularly, popularization of the Russian language in Mongolia and training of Mongolian specialists in Russia.

The parties are supposed to sign a program of cooperation between the culture ministries of Russia and Mongolia for 2009–2011.

They will also discuss the joint preparations for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory on Khalkhyn Gol.

The agenda of the negotiations also includes some urgent international problems, particularly, the situation in the Asian-Pacific region and the possibilities for enlarging bilateral cooperation in the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organziation.
 
According to preliminary information, in 2008 the trade turnover between Russia and Mongolia totaled USD 1.3bln. The countries are successfully implementing projects in geology, ore mining and processing, fuel and energy complex, transport infrastructure and agriculture.