India, Mongolia discuss opportunities in mining, clean energy, agro-processing
Ulaanbaatar, June 22
India and Mongolia took stock of the progress made in development projects along with discussing opportunities in the areas of mining, clean energy and agricultural processing.
The discussions took place during the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Mongolian counterpart Battsetseg Batmunkh in Ulaanbaatar.
Jaishankar underlined how the talks reflect warmth, strength and promise of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
"Reviewed the progress in our cooperation in development projects, capacity building, culture, education, security and multilateral fora. Also spoke about opportunities in mining, clean energy and agri processing," he said in a post on X.
The External Affairs Minister underscored how, as a third neighbour and a spiritual partner, India stands ready to advance its close and cordial ties with Mongolia.
The talks between the two leaders built on key issues which were also discussed during the visit of Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa during his visit to India in October last year.
His visit had seen the signing of the MoU for cooperation in the Field of Geology and Mineral Resources- paving the way for technological exchange and the sharing of expertise.
The leaders had then agreed to lay the groundwork for collaboration in exporting Mongolia's key mineral resources to the Indian market, including coking coal and copper, with a view to fostering shared industrial development and economic growth--the joint statement issued during the visit of President Ukhnaa said.
India and Mongolia had also agreed to explore the renewal of the MoU on Renewable Energy Cooperation to advance clean energy development, foster innovation, and elevate bilateral energy cooperation to a new level, promoting sustainable and inclusive growth for the mutual prosperity of the two nations.
The joint statement had noted how with Mongolia's rich livestock resources and India's world-renowned expertise in processing wool, particularly for carpets and textiles, the two sides agreed to leverage their complementary strengths to enhance cooperation in raw material supply, processing and manufacturing; technology transfer; and human resource exchange to jointly produce value-added wool and cashmere products for the global market.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Mongolia on Monday for a state visit from June 22 to 23. On arrival, he was welcomed by the State Secretary Munktushig Ilkhanajav.
The External Affairs Minister has embarked on a four-day visit to Mongolia and the Republic of Korea on Monday.
According to an official release by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar will be meeting with the Mongolian and Korean leaderships and holding discussions with his counterparts during his official visit from June 22 to 25.
— ANI
Reader Comments
India's expanding diplomatic footprint in Central Asia is impressive. Mongolia has vast mineral wealth, and we have the processing expertise. The wool and cashmere collaboration also makes sense - Indian textile industry can benefit from Mongolian raw materials. But I hope the clean energy partnership goes beyond MoUs and includes technology transfer for solar/wind in Mongolia's harsh climate.
Strategic partnership with Mongolia is essential, but we must also increase people-to-people ties. How many Indians know about Mongolia beyond the 'third neighbor' concept? Need more student exchanges, tourism promotion and cultural linkages. The spiritual partnership angle (Buddhist connections) is interesting but underutilized. Let's see some concrete outcomes from Jaishankar's visit.
The focus on agro-processing and wool/cashmere is welcome. Mongolia has over 70 million livestock! India's expertise in textiles can be a win-win. But we need to ensure local Indian artisans and weavers benefit too - not just big corporates. Also, coking coal imports from Mongolia could reduce our dependence on Australia, but logistics through China remain a challenge. 🤔
Good diplomatic move, but I wish the media didn't hype every foreign visit as 'strengthening bonds'. Jaishankar is doing his job - let's see tangible results in trade data in next 2-3 years. The Mongolia-India ties have potential, especially in defense (we already have joint exercises) and space (Mongolia wants satellite tech). But infrastructure in Mongolia is poor; our investment needs careful assessment.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.