On May 13, 2009 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin paid a working visit to Mongolia on the invitation of Mongolian Prime Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar.
Prime Minister Putin held talks with Prime Minister Bayar, and was received by Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar and Chairman of the State Great Khural of Mongolia Damdiny Demberel.
The negotiations and meetings, which passed in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and traditional respect for each other's interests, focused on relevant aspects of Russian-Mongolian relations. The discussion also touched on several regional and international topics.
The Prime Ministers noted a specific role of a regular top- and high-level dialogue for developing strategic partnership between Russia and Mongolia, strengthening and stepping up good-neighbourly relations and traditional friendship between the two nations.
The parties also discussed efforts to implement provisions of such basic agreements as the January 20, 1993 Treaty between the Russian Federation and Mongolia on Friendly Relations and Cooperation, the November 14, 2000 Ulan Bator Declaration and the December 8, 2006 Moscow Declaration, as well as an outlook for future expansion and improvement of the legal base of bilateral relations.
The parties gave special attention to trade, economic and investment cooperation issues. With regard to this, the Prime Ministers underscored the importance of effective and regular functioning of the central mechanism of bilateral interaction - the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, as well as its working bodies for a complete and timely implementation of the Programme of Development of Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Russian Federation and Mongolia for 2006-2010.
With a view to reducing Mongolia's negative trade balance with Russia and expanding the mutual commodity turnover, the Mongolian party put forward an initiative to conclude an intergovernmental agreement for mutual supplies of several kinds of goods on favourable terms. The Russian party expressed willingness to continue addressing issues connected with mutual trade liberalisation within the corresponding Working Group of the Intergovernmental Commission.
The parties noted with satisfaction the successful establishment of joint ventures between the Russian state corporation Rostekhnologii and two Mongolian companies, Erdenet and Mongolrostsvetmet, as well as placing into Russian Railways' trust a Russian share of the Ulan Bator Railway.
The parties expressed their satisfaction with the successful development of cooperation in agriculture, including within the Mongolian Government's programme Virgin Lands-III. Mr Bayar said Mongolia was interested in increasing exports of meat and meat products to Russia. Mr Putin said Russia was prepared to expand grain crop supplies to Mongolia and would consider the Mongolian proposals taking into account the veterinary and sanitary control norms in the two countries.
The parties agreed upon joint efforts to create favourable conditions for stepping up inter-regional and border cooperation, which accounts for a major share in the Russian-Mongolian trade. With regard to this, the Prime Ministers charged the Intergovernmental Commission with analysing the work of border control points on the Russian-Mongolian border in accordance with the August 10, 1994 Agreement between the Government of Mongolia and the Government of the Russian Federation on Border Checkpoints and Relaxed Regime on the Russian-Mongolian Border. Boosting their efficiency is of specific value for the implementation of partnership agreements in agriculture.
The parties spoke in favour of accelerating the preparation of a package of bilateral intergovernmental documents concerning the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including the agreement for setting up a full circle uranium ore joint facility.
The Mongolian party expressed interest in participating in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) economic projects, including energy projects. At the same time, the parties spoke in favour of the future development of the Russian-Mongolian energy dialogue.
The Prime Ministers exchanged opinions on the creation of infrastructure necessary to develop large mineral resources fields, such as Tavan Tolgoi, and touched upon the establishment of a joint railway company.
The parties noted the successful implementation of the bilateral military and military-technical cooperation projects. The Mongolian party expressed gratitude to the Russian Federation for rendering assistance in modernising and updating Mongolian arms and military equipment, as well as in training officers for the Mongolian Armed Forces.
The parties informed each other about this year's events to mark the 70th anniversary of the joint victory on the Khalkhin-Gol, the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Russian-Mongolian company Ulan Bator Railway, and the 50th anniversary of the start of Mongolian virgin land development.
The Prime Ministers stressed the importance of future expansion of scientific, technical, cultural, educational and sport exchange. In this respect, the parties set a high value on preparing the Days of Russian Culture in Mongolia in 2009 and the Days of Mongolian Culture in Russia in 2010. The participants of negotiations hailed plans to develop Russia's higher school branches in Mongolia. The Russian party informed its Mongolian partners that their country was on the list of the states where it is planned to implement projects of the federal programme to promote the study of the Russian language abroad.
The following agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Putin and Prime Minister Bayar:
The Memorandum on Mutual Understanding between the Transport Ministry of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Roads, Transport, Construction and Urban Development of Mongolia;
The Joint Statement of the Agriculture Minister of the Russian Federation and the Food, Agriculture and Light Industry Minister of Mongolia on Cooperation in Agriculture;
The Agreement between Russian Railways and Erdenes MGL and MTZ on Joint Venture Creation;
The Agreement between Aeroflot - Russian Airlines and MIAT Mongolian Airlines on Joint Exploitation of Airlines ("code-sharing");
The Memorandum of Intentions between Russia's Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation and Mongolia's Nuclear Energy Agency on Training Specialists.
The parties discussed relevant regional and international problems of mutual interest, including several global security issues, strengthening the role of the United Nations, and overcoming the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis.
Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar awarded Prime Minister Putin with an Order of Merit Erdeniin Ochir for the development of the traditionally friendly and multi-faceted cooperation between Mongolia and the Russian Federation.
The Prime Ministers were shown the first shipment of Russian agricultural machinery supplied to Mongolia as part of Rosselkhozbank's credit programme. In addition, they gave a start to famous Russian traveller Fyodor Konyukhov's international expedition "Along the Great Silk Road".
Prime Minister Putin laid flowers at the monument to legendary Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov and visited the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ulan Bator.
Prime Minister Putin expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and invited his Mongolian counterpart to visit Russia at a time convenient to him. Prime Minister Bayar accepted the invitation with gratitude.
Ulan Bator
May 13, 2009