Batbold Sukhbaatar, Prime Minister of Mongolia pays official visits to USA and Canada

From September 20 through October 3, Prime Minister S.Batbold pays official visits to the USA and Canada. Firstly, the Prime Minister is working in New York on September 20-27, where gave a speech at the summit meeting of the UN General
Assembly about implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to express his position at a round table meeting ‘Ensuring special needs for extremely vulnerable countries’. In addition, Mr. Batbold will deliver a speech at the general
debate of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, take part in a summit meeting ‘Innovative global management’ to be co-organized by the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) and the Louise Blouin Foundation to deliver a report themed ‘Future tendency of raw materials’. Mr. Batbold met with Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General,
with chairman of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, leaders of the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), State Heads of some countries, and got au fait with activities of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Prime Minister S. Batbold took part in the summit meeting of the UN General Assembly at which implementations of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were considered. The MDGs, determined in 2000 by state and governmental heads of
countries in New York City, are to be realized by every country by 2015 as they have obliged themselves.Thus, eight major matters are being given consideration, such as reducing a poverty by two times, making decisive steps in tackling urgent problems in poor and developing countries, and ensuring environmental stability. Moreover, this year’s summit discussed what the countries managed to accomplish in the last five years.Mongolia worked-out its third national report on the implementation of the MDGs. For the time being, it goes at 66 percent. Since it is supposed that Mongolia, despite its economic growth, has not reached significant results to reduce poverty, the Prime Minister underlined at the meeting that the government of Mongolia is focusing on a policy to create jobs, train people in vocational training centers and to provide them with jobs. Mr. Batbold emphasized that Mongolia is ensuring an allocation of benefits, developing open governance,
wants to approve a law on budgetary stability and to make investments in the health and education sectors.

Prime Minister S. Batbold will deliver a speech on September 27 at the general debate of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly to express the position of his country on urgent international issues. He is drawing the attention of attendees to the common problems landlocked developing countries are facing and to cooperate with countries in combating the consequence of global climate change. On September 20, Mr. Batbold met with Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN). At the beginning, Mr. Ban Ki- Moon emphasized that Mongolia has made big progress towards implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and appraised the achievements gained by the joint government headedby S.Batbold to sustainably ensure economic growth, reduce mortality of mothers and infants, and involve every child in school. He thanked the Prime Minister for taking part in the summit meeting of the UN General Assembly to share experiences in successfully implementing the goals, and appreciated the service of Mongolian troops in UN peacekeeping operations.He congratulated the government of Mongolia for leading affairs for protecting the interests of landlocked developing countries. In turn, Prime Minister S. Batbold said that we are ready to work-out an intergovernmental multilateral agreement on starting activities of the International Think Tank for the Landlocked Developing Countries and endorse it by putting it in discussion of a group of landlocked developing countries. Mr. Batbold also underlined that Mongolia’s government is paying an attention to increasing the number of female peacekeepers in the peacekeeping operations in accordance with a request of the UN Secretary-General. At the end of meeting, Mr. Batbold presented the UN Secretary-General with a letter of appeal that was issued by the cabinet of Mongolia held in the sandy desert of Omnogobi Aimag.The same day, Prime Minister S. Batbold met with Mr. Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister. Now, Mr. Blair is serving as a special Envoy of the Quartet (UN, European Union, Russia and USA) on the Middle East, in frames of the UN. The sides have discussed issues of Mongolia-Britain cooperation and of international cooperation. The Prime Minister introduced Mr. Blair Mongolia’s development policy and position on international matters.
Mr. Blair said that the economy of Mongolia, a country with a good example of democracy in Asia, is developing intensively, and wished success to the coalition government of Mongolia. During the meeting, Mr. Batbold noted that Mongolia holds certain policies such as naturalizing European standards and improving the education and health sectors for citizens and it pays attention to developing good governance. Mr. Blair appreciated the reform made by the Mongolian coalition government, the policy of improving the livelihood of people, and shared
his positions and experiences. “Your government’s policy on introducing European standards has great importance, but it is critical to select the best ones from these standards and to adjust them to conditions of your country instead of copying all,” Mr. Blair emphasized. He said he appreciates the experience of Singapore in the development of education, and expressed his confidence that the Mongolian government’s effort will reach positive results in the education and health sectors in scope with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Following the meeting, Prime Minister Batbold attended a meeting of member-states of the Socialist International in frames of the UN Assembly’s session, and gave a speech on climate change. He also
held meetings with influential businessmen.Mr. Batbold also met with Mr. Bill Clinton, former US President and head of Clinton’s Global Initiative in New York. Mr. Batbold underlined that the organization conducts active operation
in spheres of children, women, climate change, renewable energy, education and environment and expressed an interest of cooperation. As a result of the meeting, the sides agreed to cooperate in education, good governance, responsible mining
development and environmental conservation. Mr. Clinton said that the organization lacks experienced mining personnel and officials of the two sides need to hold contacts on this matter. After the meeting, Prime Minister S. Batbold attended the opening of the 6th conference of Clinton’s Global Initiative.On September 21, Prime Minister S.Batbold met with Jigme Yoser Thinley, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan during his participation in the 65th session of the UN General Assembly in New York City, USA. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of modern diplomatic service of Mongolia to be marked in 2011, the Mongolian side initiated and starts the establishing of diplomatic relations with those UN member states who have not had such relations with Mongolia. In accordance, the Presidential Office has given directives to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to create diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan. Mongolia’s Ambassador to the Republic of India V.Enkhbold had held a meeting with the Bhutanese Ambassador to India in scope with this matter.
At the above meeting the Prime Minister said he would soon reply to the matter on Bhutan’s seeking nonpermanent membership in the UN Security Council. During his participation at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister S. Batbold met with Mr. Kurt M. Campbell, the Assistant U.S Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in New York.The sides discussed ways of intensifying the bilateral relations, arranging mutual visits of high level officials, widening economic cooperation, and increasing the number of Mongolian students to study in the USA with Fulbright scholarships.
Apart from the meetings, Prime Minister S. Batbold was interviewed by some well-known mass media including Bloomberg, Reuters and Wall Street Journal. During the interviews, Mr. Batbold gave accurate information about changes
and reforms in Mongolia’s business and legal environment and spheres of mining, infrastructure, banking, financing and education and about large projects under implementation. He talked about how climate change and desertification negatively affects Mongolia’s nature and the lives of people and that a recent cabinet meeting was held in the sandy valley of Omnogobi Aimag as well.
In frames of his work in New York, Mr. Batbold held a meeting with George Soros in New-York on September 21. To begin the meeting, Mr. Batbold highly appraised Soros Foundation’s significant contribution to develop democracy and human
rights institutions in Mongolia. He noted the importance of continuing cooperation between Mongolia and the Soros Foundation in strengthening humanitarian democracy and of Soros Foundation’s participation in developing civil society and free
press. Prime Minister’s visit continues. From September 27 to October 1, Prime Minister S. Batbold will continue the visit to Canada. The aims of this visit is to continue the frequency of bilateral high level political talks, to strengthen
an agreeable legal environment for bilateral ties, to widen the relations in principles of partnership cooperation, to determine the present situation of relations and their prospects, and to exchange opinions on cooperation in trade, economics, investments, infrastructure, agriculture and environment. Mr. Batbold will meet Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, and some other Ministers. Moreover, Prime Minister will visit the Canadian Parliament and hold meetings with the Speakers of the Senate and House of Commons. Mr. Batbold will also meet with governors of Ontario and British Columbia states, and attend Mongolia-Canada business forums to run in Toronto and Vancouver cities. In line with the official visit, it is expected that the Prime Minister will sign some official documents on the development of cooperation in road, transportation, construction, urban development, civil service and standardization service. After the USA and Canada trip, Mr. Batbold will head to Japan to attend a ceremony for the retirement of Sumo Grand champion D.Dagvadorj.

Source:Mongol Messenger, Mongolian English Weekly published by Montsame News Agency