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.
