The following interview with Gankhuyag Damba, the State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the ASEM Office of Mongolia, has originally been published in Udriin Sonin daily newspaper on April 28.
-Asia-Europe Parliamentary Meeting (ASEP) - the first of the ASEM's nine side events – was held in Ulaanbaatar on April 21-23. Which countries' representatives attended this meeting?
-A total of 175 delegates from 30 countries of Asia and Europe, and 5 organizations participated in the 9th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting, which was held within the framework of the 11th ASEM Summit. During the meeting, P. Grasso, President of the Senate of the Italian Parliament, and Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker of Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Indian Parliament, respectively paid official visits to Mongolia. During the Indian Parliament Speaker’s visit, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Secretariats of the Mongolian and Indian Parliaments was signed, and the Indian Parliament plans to retrain and build up the human resource capacity of the State Ikh Khural Secretariat. And during the ASEP9 meeting, a total of 41 meetings were held. For instance, Ikh Khural Speaker Z. Enkhbold, Vice Speakers R. Gonchigdorj and M. Enkhbold met with the Speakers, Vice Speakers and members of Parliaments from Russia, China, Italy, India, Japan, European Parliament, France, Great Britain, Australia, Hungary, Poland, Pakistan, Austria, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Philippine, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Hungary, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Croatia,Laos, Cambodia and Cyprus.
-What issues were discussed and what were some promising propositions at these bilateral meetings with Asian-European representatives?
-During the meetings, many issues on bilateral cooperation were discussed. As of today, 23 European Union countries have ratified the Mongolia-EU Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation signed in 2013, and support was sought for the ratification of the agreement by other countries. Also discussed were such issues as the opening of an EU Representative Office in Ulaanbaatar, attendance of Mongolia in the East Asian Summit meetings, Mongolia becoming a negotiations partner in ASEAN, Mongolia Joining APEC as a member, promoting cooperation with the City of London, opening a major Mongolian exhibition in the Scandinavian countries in 2019-2020 to promote Mongolia, setting up winter sports infrastructure and building up human resources capacity. The issue of social welfare of Mongolians living in Sweden was also taken up, also introduction of progressive renewable energy technology in Mongolia, particularly of wind powered ones from Denmark. Our side also put up concrete suggestions such as the promotion of cooperation in the agriculture sector, in particular, in the dairy produce sector and setting up of a bilateral parliamentary group at the Austrian Parliament. There was detailed exchange of views on such program and projects as trilateral Mongolia-China-Russia cooperation, as well as the Silk Road, Silk Road Economic Zone and Eurasian Economic Union, including the Mongolian-Chinese-Russian Economic Corridor project.
-Representatives to the 9th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting noted the growing international prestige of Mongolia?
-The participants countries highly noted the significance of this meeting. Apart from the aforementioned issues and topics, discussions were held on a broad spectrum of issues covering a wide area of sector and interest. They included issues related to extension of ties and cooperation among parliaments, deepening political talks and negotiations, strengthening of multilateral cooperation, regional integration, promoting cooperation in the political, security, economic, trade, financial, educational, cultural and agricultural sectors, such as livestock breeding and crop farming. Discussions also covered issues such as cooperation for the development of sports infrastructure, promoting the tourism sector, humanitarian exchanges, and regional and trans-border cooperation, intensifying ties between businesses and individuals, mutually exchanging business delegations and organizing business meetings. Delegates from South East Asia expressed their support to Mongolia in becoming a partner in ASEAN talks and negotiations, and becoming a member of APEC, and also expressed their readiness to cooperate with Mongolia in this respect, which can be viewed as a major outcome of this meeting. It must be noted that during the bilateral meetings, foreign delegates congratulated Mongolia for chairing the meeting which coincides with the 20thanniversary of ASEM, and for the successful organization of the ASEP9 Meeting.
-Where are we currently in terms of preparation for the ASEM11 Summit?
-First of all, I would like to thank everyone who is involved in the successful preparation for the first of the nine events that are being planned within the framework of the ASEM Summit, those who carried out their duties and responsibilities in an appropriate manner. We would also like to thank the residents of Ulaanbaatar for their understanding and resilience for the introduction of traffic regime in the streets and avenues of Ulaanbaatar during a certain period of time. The Foreign Ministry and the ASEM Office of Mongolia have been able to accomplish a set of concrete work. This included the following: supply information to the ASEM partners, drafting the meeting documents and ensuring they are discussed beforehand by the ASEM partners, carrying out the functions of secretariat during the meeting, managing the e-registration of delegates, managing their pass for entry into the Government House, installing the equipment for simultaneous interpretation during the meeting, ensuring their reliability and mobilizing the simultaneous interpreters.
Whatever the case, the entire public was involved in the organization of the ASEP related activities. We are now preparing for the next meeting scheduled to be held on May 12. Naturally, small issues and problems crop up. And everyone understands that this is linked to the international prestige of the country. Most importantly, the preparations have to be done well.
Source: www.asem11.mn
The following interview with Gankhuyag Damba, the State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the ASEM Office of Mongolia, has originally been published in Udriin Sonin daily newspaper on April 28.
-Asia-Europe Parliamentary Meeting (ASEP) - the first of the ASEM's nine side events – was held in Ulaanbaatar on April 21-23. Which countries' representatives attended this meeting?
-A total of 175 delegates from 30 countries of Asia and Europe, and 5 organizations participated in the 9th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting, which was held within the framework of the 11th ASEM Summit. During the meeting, P. Grasso, President of the Senate of the Italian Parliament, and Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker of Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Indian Parliament, respectively paid official visits to Mongolia. During the Indian Parliament Speaker’s visit, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Secretariats of the Mongolian and Indian Parliaments was signed, and the Indian Parliament plans to retrain and build up the human resource capacity of the State Ikh Khural Secretariat. And during the ASEP9 meeting, a total of 41 meetings were held. For instance, Ikh Khural Speaker Z. Enkhbold, Vice Speakers R. Gonchigdorj and M. Enkhbold met with the Speakers, Vice Speakers and members of Parliaments from Russia, China, Italy, India, Japan, European Parliament, France, Great Britain, Australia, Hungary, Poland, Pakistan, Austria, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Philippine, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Hungary, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Croatia,Laos, Cambodia and Cyprus.
-What issues were discussed and what were some promising propositions at these bilateral meetings with Asian-European representatives?
-During the meetings, many issues on bilateral cooperation were discussed. As of today, 23 European Union countries have ratified the Mongolia-EU Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation signed in 2013, and support was sought for the ratification of the agreement by other countries. Also discussed were such issues as the opening of an EU Representative Office in Ulaanbaatar, attendance of Mongolia in the East Asian Summit meetings, Mongolia becoming a negotiations partner in ASEAN, Mongolia Joining APEC as a member, promoting cooperation with the City of London, opening a major Mongolian exhibition in the Scandinavian countries in 2019-2020 to promote Mongolia, setting up winter sports infrastructure and building up human resources capacity. The issue of social welfare of Mongolians living in Sweden was also taken up, also introduction of progressive renewable energy technology in Mongolia, particularly of wind powered ones from Denmark. Our side also put up concrete suggestions such as the promotion of cooperation in the agriculture sector, in particular, in the dairy produce sector and setting up of a bilateral parliamentary group at the Austrian Parliament. There was detailed exchange of views on such program and projects as trilateral Mongolia-China-Russia cooperation, as well as the Silk Road, Silk Road Economic Zone and Eurasian Economic Union, including the Mongolian-Chinese-Russian Economic Corridor project.
-Representatives to the 9th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting noted the growing international prestige of Mongolia?
-The participants countries highly noted the significance of this meeting. Apart from the aforementioned issues and topics, discussions were held on a broad spectrum of issues covering a wide area of sector and interest. They included issues related to extension of ties and cooperation among parliaments, deepening political talks and negotiations, strengthening of multilateral cooperation, regional integration, promoting cooperation in the political, security, economic, trade, financial, educational, cultural and agricultural sectors, such as livestock breeding and crop farming. Discussions also covered issues such as cooperation for the development of sports infrastructure, promoting the tourism sector, humanitarian exchanges, and regional and trans-border cooperation, intensifying ties between businesses and individuals, mutually exchanging business delegations and organizing business meetings. Delegates from South East Asia expressed their support to Mongolia in becoming a partner in ASEAN talks and negotiations, and becoming a member of APEC, and also expressed their readiness to cooperate with Mongolia in this respect, which can be viewed as a major outcome of this meeting. It must be noted that during the bilateral meetings, foreign delegates congratulated Mongolia for chairing the meeting which coincides with the 20thanniversary of ASEM, and for the successful organization of the ASEP9 Meeting.
-Where are we currently in terms of preparation for the ASEM11 Summit?
-First of all, I would like to thank everyone who is involved in the successful preparation for the first of the nine events that are being planned within the framework of the ASEM Summit, those who carried out their duties and responsibilities in an appropriate manner. We would also like to thank the residents of Ulaanbaatar for their understanding and resilience for the introduction of traffic regime in the streets and avenues of Ulaanbaatar during a certain period of time. The Foreign Ministry and the ASEM Office of Mongolia have been able to accomplish a set of concrete work. This included the following: supply information to the ASEM partners, drafting the meeting documents and ensuring they are discussed beforehand by the ASEM partners, carrying out the functions of secretariat during the meeting, managing the e-registration of delegates, managing their pass for entry into the Government House, installing the equipment for simultaneous interpretation during the meeting, ensuring their reliability and mobilizing the simultaneous interpreters.
Whatever the case, the entire public was involved in the organization of the ASEP related activities. We are now preparing for the next meeting scheduled to be held on May 12. Naturally, small issues and problems crop up. And everyone understands that this is linked to the international prestige of the country. Most importantly, the preparations have to be done well.
Source: www.asem11.mn