Meeting of the co-chairs of the Russian-Mongolian Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology was held via videoconference.
Russian Deputy
Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko and
Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia
Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan held
a videoconference to discuss the state of affairs in trade and economic
cooperation as well as topical issues of Russia-Mongolia coordinated action in
energy, transport, the environment, healthcare, education and culture.
The officials
confirmed mutual interest in strengthening neighbourly relations and comprehensive
strategic partnership in view of the events to be held in 2021 to mark the 100th
anniversary of the diplomatic relations and the 40th anniversary of
the joint space flight.
The parties
specifically focused on countering COVID-19. “In 2020, when the entire world
faced the global threat of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia-Mongolia relations
proved their strength and stability. At the request of our Mongolian partners,
Russia promptly and at no cost supplied Mongolia with COVID-19 test systems to
conduct 5,500 tests and a mobile express diagnostics laboratory, and provided
all necessary advisory and methodological support,” Viktoria Abramchenko noted.
Despite the
restrictions due to the spread of the coronavirus, our countries managed to
maintain intensive cooperation between government agencies and prevent a
drastic decline in trade.
“In 2020, the
pandemic changed the dynamic of Russia-Mongolia bilateral trade. Nonetheless,
the turnover amounted to an impressive $1.4 billion at the year-end. We expect
a gradual recovery of trade and economic cooperation indicators once the
COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. This should be facilitated by the work of the
intergovernmental commission that we co-chair. We have plenty of areas for
cooperation,” the Russian deputy prime minister said.
Mongolia’s trade
mission that is about to open in Vladivostok this year will also serve the
purpose of stimulating mutual trade, Viktoria Abramchenko added. The Government
has already drafted a relevant directive.
The deputy prime
minister also announced that the two countries had signed the Russia-Mongolia
Intergovernmental Agreement on Interregional and Cross-Border Cooperation, and
developed a Mid-Term Action Plan for Interregional Cooperation covering 2021–2025.
In the humanitarian sphere, Russian universities have allocated 550 state-funded scholarships for
Mongolian students this academic year. Russia supported Mongolia’s initiative
to open a Russia-Mongolia school in Ulaanbaatar.
Talks continue
on executing a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and
Mongolia. The agreement is designed to boost trade between Russia and Mongolia and
expand the presence of Mongolian goods on EAEU markets.
The meeting
produced ten essential tasks for the commission to perform during 2021 in areas
of mutual interest. The parties remotely signed a final protocol of the
commission co-chairs’ meeting.
