Mongolia Brief September 12, 2014 Part I
President
Ts.Elbegdorj Arrives in Dushanbe
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
September 12 (MONTSAME) The President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj Thursday arrived
in Dushanbe to participate in the 14th Summit of the Council of Heads of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States continuing in the capital
city of Tajikistan.
Mr Elbegdorj
was welcomed by Mr J.Sukhee, the Ambassador of Mongolia to Tajikistan; Mr
Kokhir Rasulzoda, the Prime Minister of Tajikistan; and Mr Sirodjidin Aslov,
the Foreign Minister of Tajikistan.
After this, the
leader of Mongolia was welcomed by his counterpart of Tajikistan in the Palace
of Nation in Dushanbe. The two dignitaries noted an active and intensive
development of the SCO.
Then our
President received Ms Sushma Swaraj, the Foreign Minister of India, to discuss
the Mongolia-India relations and actions of the SCO.
Mongolian
President Addresses Russian and Chinese Heads
By B. Khuder/B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
September 12 (MONTSAME) The meeting has run in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, between
the President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj, the President of Russia V.Putin and the
Chairman of China Xi Jinping.
This unique in
terms of content and format meeting took place during the 14th Summit of the
Council of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States
which kicked off Thursday in Dushanbe.
Mr Elbegdorj
thanked his counterparts for meeting with him and for their recent visits to
Mongolia. He underlined that these visits were well-timed and fruitful actions
having a great historical importance.
“Our trilateral
meeting is taking place to discuss the high level Ulaanbaatar Dialogue that
aims to expand the trilateral win-win cooperation,” the leader of Mongolia said
and presented reasons why this Dialogue should be run in our capital. “Firstly,
Mongolia considers a development of friendly relations with its two neighbours
as a priority of its foreign policy. There are some vital issues that can be
tackled by the three countries, infrastructure and transit transportation
including. Secondly, Mongolia is the only country in the world to border China
and Russia in terms of geography, which means that it can reach seaports
through territories of its neighbours only. Thirdly, Mongolia considers itself
as the most reliable and shortest transit and infrastructure junction through
which Russia can access Asia from Europe and China can access Europe from
Asia,” he said.
Based on these
factors, he went on, principles of the trilateral Dialogue come: It would be
hosted every three years in the capital of Mongolia; It would be open for
public and would satisfy common principles of the trilateral cooperation,
it would consider and decide the trilateral matters, especially regarding
transit transportation, infrastructure and the regional issues.
He noted that
had delivered these proposal to Mr Xi Jinping and Mr Putin during their recent
visits to our country, and said that at this meeting he would like to consider
and to reach decisions on three matters: to discuss the above principles and to
reach a united position on them; to intensify a process of “General
intergovernmental agreement between Mongolia, Russia and China on Railroad
Transit Transport”, which was discussed to be settled in the near future, and
to organize three working groups’ meeting within 2014 in Ulaanbaatar, the same
meeting can be held on research into building “Western Pipeline of Gas” through
Mongolian territory; to get supports from China and Russia in Mongolia’s
seeking a membership in APEC during its upcoming Summit to be held in Beijing
this November. As for the UB Dialogue, a meeting of three vice-ministers of
foreign affairs may be organized annually, firstly in Ulaanbaatar within 2014,
he said.
He ended his
speech believing that “our beneficial cooperation will contribute significantly
to not only the three countries’ but also to the regional development”.
President
of China Proposes China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
September 12 (MONTSAME) At the meeting with Mongolian and Russian Presidents,
the Chairman of People’s Republic of China Mr Xi Jinping has proposed to
construct an economic corridor linking China, Mongolia and Russia.
Mr Xi put
forward the proposal on Thursday during the 14th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO). Highlighting that the development strategies of the three
neighboring countries are highly compatible, Mr Xi noted that both Russia and
Mongolia have positively responded to China's vision on building an economic
belt along the Silk Road.
The Silk Road
Economic Belt initiative, proposed by Xi during his visit to Central Asia last
year, eyes a revival of the ancient trade route linking China with Central Asia
and Europe.
The three
countries, Mr Xi pointed out, can dovetail the Silk Road Economic Belt
initiative with Russia's transcontinental rail plan and Mongolia's Prairie Road
program, and jointly build a China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.
On building the
corridor, Mr Xi called on the three sides to strengthen traffic interconnectivity,
facilitate cargo clearance and transportation, and study the feasibility of
building a transnational power grid.
As part of the
initiative, Mr Xi also suggested that the three countries beef up cooperation
in such areas as tourism, think tank, media, environmental protection, and
disaster prevention and relief.
The three
countries should deepen cooperation within the framework of the SCO, jointly
safeguard regional security, and achieve common development, said the Chinese
leader.
On international
cooperation, Xi noted that the three countries need to jointly safeguard the
basic norms governing international relations, advocate the new security
concept of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and collaboration, and
jointly promote the political resolution of international disputes and hot
issues.
China supports
Mongolia's participation in regional affairs, said Xi, inviting Mongolia to
participate in the activities China and Russia plan to hold next year to
commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victories of the World Anti-Fascist War
and the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as well
as the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
Noting that the
three countries are good neighbors and partners, Mr Xi said the trilateral
summit is of great significance to deepening mutual trust, promoting win-win
cooperation among the three parties, and pushing forward regional cooperation
in Northeast Asia.
He also voiced
the belief that the trilateral summit will lay a firm foundation for the
development of a closer trilateral relationship.
For his part,
Putin said the three countries should enhance exchanges, dialogue and
coordination.
China's Silk
Road Economic Belt initiative offers important opportunities for trilateral
cooperation, the Russian president said, calling on the three sides to combine
their development plans and establish a long-term and stable cooperative
relationship in the areas of energy, mining and transportation infrastructure
construction.
He also called
on the three nations, all champions of multipolarization, to make joint efforts
in safeguarding regional security and stability.
Meanwhile, the
Mongolian president said his country attaches strategic importance to
developing closer good-neighborly friendship and cooperation with China and
Russia.
Noting that Mr
Xi's and Putin's recent visits to Mongolia have advanced Mongolia's ties with
China and Russia, Mr Elbegdorj said his country is willing to enhance
cooperation with the two countries, especially in the fields of transportation
infrastructure interconnectivity and cross-border transportation.
Mongolia is
keen on strengthening cooperation with such mechanisms as the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation, and participating in regional affairs, said Mr Elbegdorj.
During the
meeting, the three leaders also decided to establish a consultation mechanism
at the vice foreign ministerial level to coordinate and promote trilateral
cooperation.
They also
agreed to hold more trilateral summits in the future if need be.
V.Putin:
Cooperation on Building New Railroad Should Be Considered
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
September 12 (MONTSAME) At the tripartite meeting, held in Dushanbe with the
President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and the President of
Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, the Russian leader V.Putin thanked Mr Elbegdorj
for his initiative to meet in this format, "and I am sure the President of
the People’s Republic of China will confirm this".
"We have
recently visited Mongolia with great success. My visit was timed to the 75th
anniversary of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. I would like to note in this
connection that Russia and China bore the brunt of the attack from both Nazi
Germany and militarist Japan. The events of those years are close to our
hearts, despite the fact that they occurred over 70 years ago. Mongolia
actively helped the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War and we will
always remember that.
"Next year
we will be marking 70 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. I already
had the pleasure of inviting the Presidents of the People’s Republic of China
and of Mongolia to visit Moscow during these gala events. I would like to
confirm my invitation.
"Naturally,
the geographic proximity of Mongolia, Russia and China help us implement
beneficial long-term projects in infrastructure, energy and mining. We have
things to discuss and we find it important, feasible and useful to establish a
regular dialogue.
"I would
also like to thank Tajikistan for giving us the opportunity to meet in this
format today," he said.
Moreover, Mr
Putin stated that all countries gathered in the summit strive for stability in
Central and North East Asia, and that the parties should consider trilateral
regular dialogue. The Chairman Xi Jinping suggested the other possible
variables, which included organization of the above dialogue during the SCO
summits that are held in member countries every year, he added, and suggested
that the dialogue can be organized in Russian Ufa, during next year’s summit in
July 2015.
Mr Putin
supported the President Ts.Elbegdorj’s initiative to organize a meeting of
foreign vice-ministers. He considers the organization of the meetings should
undergo at the level of Ministries of foreign affairs, as the events increase
the frequency of three party meetings. He also addressed several projects on
trilateral long-term cooperation, such as cooperation on building new railroad
basing on parts of “Ulaanbaatar Railways” joint venture in Russia and China’s
territories, and Silk Road project which can be associated with some Russian
projects, as well as Steppe Road project.
The Russian
President also stated that it is possible to run power-lines through Mongolian
territory, if the Mongolian and Chinese sides are interested, and mentioned
about possible realization of projects on spheres of environment protection,
health service and agriculture.
He ended his
speech expressing his belief in the fact that all member of Shanghai
Cooperation Organization support to accept Mongolia as an active member of the
organization, once our Mongolian friends reach their decisions on this matter.
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