Russia and Mongolia plan closer cooperation

Russia and Mongolia plan closer cooperationUlaanbaatar, Mongolia  - Russia and Mongolia signed a series of agreements on the "development of a strategic partnership" during a two-day visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the capital Ulaanbaatar ending Wednesday.

Medvedev met with Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Prime Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar and Speaker of Parliament Damdin Demberel.

Regional security issues, tensions on the Korean peninsula, improving infrastructure and mining raw materials were on the agenda.

The pacts included an investment of 250 million dollars to rebuild Mongolian railways, overhaul the 1949 railway contract and increase the efficiency of the mining companies Bergbauunternehmen Erdenet and Mongolrostsvetmet.

A joint Mongolian-Russian company was founded in December 2008 to obtain investment for the expansion of transport links to sources of raw materials in the east and south of the country.

After 20 years during which Mongolian-Russian military cooperation was broken off, there have been joint military manoeuvres since last year.

An agreement between the countries' defence ministries envisages annual joint military exercises.

A training programme to prepare Mongolian soldiers for international peace-keeping duties and upgrading weapons is also planned.

The Mongolian People's Republic was one of the USSR's closest satellites until the political and economic changes in the early 1990s.

Today's democratic Mongolia is trying to limit its dependence on its powerful neighbours, Russia and China. To that end the country is also seeking to improve ties with the US, the European Union and Japan.

Russia is again seeking close cooperation because of Mongolia's wealth of raw materials and its strategic location, as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Ulaanbaatar in May showed.

President Elbegdorj has emphasized the need the put long-standing political and economic relations between Russia and Mongolia on a new level.

There are, however, significant differences of opinion in the government, in democratic and in the wider public over the right policy for Mongolia. Critics are especially worried that Mongolian interests are not being protected when selling natural resources.

The visit also marked was the 70th anniversary of the Soviet-Mongolian victory over the Japanese army in the Battle of Khalkhyn Gol at the beginning of the Second World War in 1939. (dpa)