Camp Office, Ulaanbaatar
Mongolia
28 June 2010: Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha Smt. Meira Kumar, accompanied by an All-Party Parliamentary Delegation to Mongolia, met H.E. Mr. D. Demberel, Chairman of the State Great Hural– Parliament of Mongolia - today.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha Speaker arrived at Sukhbaatar Square where she laid a wreath at the statue of Sukhbaatar. The Sukhbaatar Square has historical significance as it was here that Sukhbaatar proclaimed the revolution for independence of Mongolia in 1924. Smt. Kumar was presented a Guard of Honour followed by playing of the tunes of the National Anthems of both the countries by the Military Band. She also paid solemn tribute at the statue of Chinggis Khan.
H.E. Mr. Demberel, Chairman of the State Great Hural, considered it a happy occasion as the visit synchronized with the 55th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia. He referred to the deep and abiding relationship between the two countries rooted in history and fervently hoped that the visit of the Indian Delegation, will further enhance bilateral cooperation and expand ties in various fields. He gratefully referred to the assistance being provided by India to Mongolia in various fields, particularly in the field of Information Technology. He was quite optimistic that the prominence of India in the field of IT will be greatly helpful to Mongolia. He also underlined the need for greater cooperation between the Secretariats of Lok Sabha and the State Great Hural and referred to the exchange of protocol between the Secretaries-General of the two Parliaments.
The Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha thanked the Chairman of the State Great Hural for the warm hospitality extended to her and the Indian Delegation. She referred to the ancient links between the two countries going back to more than 2700 years and the cultural linkage and the role played by Sanskrit language in moulding and sustaining those relations. She congratulated the Chairman of State Great Hural for completing 20 years of multi-party elections and ushering in Parliamentary democracy. She referred to the Treaty of Cooperation and the exchange of visits of high dignitaries between the two countries and the blossoming of their mutual relations and friendship. She specifically referred to the landmark visit of President Elbegdorj to India in September 2009 which gave a new thrust to the bilateral relations and further enhanced the bilateral relations to a higher level. The Lok Sabha Speaker observed that there was great scope for further strengthening of bilateral relations in the areas of health, medicines, higher studies and agriculture. Referring to the rich mineral deposits of Mongolia, she expressed the need for tapping these resources which would go a long way in further enhancing bilateral relations to the mutual advantage of the two countries. In the field of cultural exchanges, she said that the temple at Bodh Gaya, built by Mongolia, continues to attract tourists and pilgrims from India and abroad. The Mongolian students studying Hindi in India and also pursuing higher studies in other fields would further enhance and strengthen our bonds of friendship.
Smt. Meira Kumar recalled the visit of the Delegation to the Residence of Chinggis Khan. The visit to a Herder’s family enroute to the picturesque Jargalant valley, where the Delegation was accorded a warm and traditional ceremonial welcome by a cavalry. The Delegation later witnessed the Mini Nadam games (wrestling, archery and gymnastics) and the Lok Sabha Speaker was highly appreciative of the verve, simplicity, sincerity and energy of the traditional artistes. She told the Chairman of State Great Hural that she was keenly looking forward to the visit of the Mongolian Parliamentary Delegation to India in December 2010. Thereafter, the two Presiding Officers addressed the media. A Protocol of Cooperation was signed and exchanged between the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha and the Secretary- General of the State Great Hural.
Meeting with Prime Minister
The Delegation called on the Prime Minister of Mongolia, who warmly welcomed them. During the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the relations between India and Mongolia go much beyond diplomatic relations as these are rooted in history. He referred to the geographical location of Mongolia, sandwiched between two super powers and thanked India for warmly giving the support and cooperation in various fields. He underlined the need for increasing trade and commerce between the two countries, particularly in the field of mining. Referring to Mongolia as a landlocked country and India’s prominence in the field of IT, he stated that IT holds a great potential in which India could play an important role. He further stated that the visit of the Lok Sabha Speaker will add a new dynamics to the bilateral relations. Referring to the multilateral fora, he said that India and Mongolia had common interests. He was very appreciative of the cooperation extended by India to Mongolia in diverse fields. He wished the Delegation a pleasant and memorable stay and said that the visit will give a new impetus to expanding bilateral cooperation. Smt. Meira Kumar thanked the Prime Minister for the warm hospitality extended to the delegation and conveyed her greetings on her behalf and on behalf of the delegation to the friendly leaders and people of Mongolia.
