ULAN BATOR – Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat yesterday discussed measures to reinforce bilateral ties during their talks in Ulan Bator. 

Both sides agreed to maintain all-level visits and exchanges and strengthen co-operation in diplomacy, national defence and security while upholding the role of the Việt Nam-Mongolia Inter-Governmental Committee. 

They also committed to facilitating Việt Nam’s exports of agro-fishery, processing and consumer goods, machinery and household electrical devices to Mongolia. Meanwhile, the East Asian country will ship meat, garment materials, leather and footwear, and minerals to Việt Nam and extend collaboration in animal husbandry and farm produce processing for consumption in the two countries and export to a third country. 

The two leaders lauded the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on co-operation in inspections and animal quarantine in April and vowed to implement an MoU on oil and gas co-ordination. 

Vice President Thịnh suggested Mongolia introduce potential oil blocks to Việt Nam for joint exploitation, affirming that Việt Nam is ready to help two countries’ airlines open direct flights linking Hà Nội and Ulan Bator. 

PM Erdenebat asked Việt Nam to share its experience in developing industry and tourism to reduce unemployment in the country and consider joining the Inter-governmental Agreement on International Road Transport along the Asian Highway Network among Mongolia, China and Russia. 

The two sides underscored the need to increase co-operation in people-to-people exchange, culture, education, arts and sports to raise mutual understanding and trust, as well as support Vietnamese nationals in Mongolia and vice versa. 

They praised co-ordination between the two nations at global and regional forums such as the Asia-Europe Meeting, the ASEAN Regional Forum and UNESCO. 

The Vietnamese leader emphasised the need to maintain peace, stability, maritime and aviation freedom and safety in the East Sea (South China Sea), settle disputes by peaceful means, respect diplomatic and legal process, effectively and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and reach a Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

Concluding the talks, host and guest witnessed the signing of an MoU on co-operation in population, social and welfare development between the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Mongolian Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. 

Meeting Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Thịnh expressed her wish to enhance political trust and improve the efficiency of joint work in regional and global issues of shared concern, towards developing Việt Nam-Mongolia relations. 

During a meeting with Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament and Chairman of the Mongolian People’s Party Miyegombo Enkhbold, Thịnh asked for regular visits by delegations, including top legislators and members of parliament committees and offices as well as friendship parliamentarians’ groups of the two nations, with an aim to share experience in the legislature’s operations, bilaterally and multilaterally. 

Enkhbold proposed intensifying links across the fields of economy, trade, investment, mining, culture, tourism and press information, contributing to mutual understanding between the two peoples. – VNS