NUMBER OF AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEERS AUGMENTED

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /MONTSAME/ A memorandum on implementing the program of Australian volunteers for development was signed on Thursday, September 8 by S.Bayartsogt , the Finance Minister and Sam Gerovich, the Ambassador of Australia to Mongolia. This document is an additional agreement of realizations of the Program of Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) with aims to organize the campaign of sending volunteers to developing countries and to improve the effect of the voluntary works. It unites the AVID, Australian Volunteers International (AVI), Red Cross Volunteers (RCV), Volunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA) and Australian Business Volunteers (ABV). By uniting previous programs and measures of volunteers, the number of volunteers to be sent to Mongolia will be augmented. They are assigned to Mongolia to work in state organizations and NGOs of health, environment, education and public media sectors with periods of 3-12 months. They also work in the World Bank and UNDP under a goal to reduce poverty rates. Moreover, the government of Australia has decided to widen the voluntary program for Mongolia in conjunction with another decision to increase the developmental budget for Mongolia in 2011-2012. Apart of signing the document, the Finance Minister and the Australian Ambassador shared views on the bilateral cooperation in economic and developmental spheres and on financial and economic situations in Mongolia.

B.Khuder