Headlines
Modi on historic visit to Mongolia; offers $1 bn credit
Ulan Bator, May 17
India and Mongolia on Sunday
elevated their 60-year-old diplomatic ties to a strategic partnership
as Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit the
landlocked northeast Asian nation, which has declared India as its
"third neighbour and spiritual neighbour".
The two countries inked 13 agreements, including in the sphere of air services and cyber security.
Modi,
who was accorded a ceremonial welcome in the morning and held talks
with Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg, also visited the
Gandan Monastery and presented a sapling of the revered Mahabodhi tree
to the head abbot Hamba Lama of the monastery.
More than half the
population of Mongolia, which is sandwiched between China and Russia
and shares frosty ties with both, follows Buddhism.
Saikhanbileg,
in his media statement after the talks at the State Palace, said
Mongolia "firmly regards India as our third neighbour and our spiritual
neighbour".
Modi announced a $1 billion line of credit to
Mongolia for its infrastructure projects. He said: "Mongolia is an
integral part of India's Act East Policy. The destinies of India and
Mongolia are closely linked with the future of Asia Pacific Region."
Modi thanked Mongolia for its "strong support" for India's bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.
A
joint statement issued here said India and Mongolia have agreed to
offer reciprocal support for their bids for a non-permanent seat in the
UNSC for the terms 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 respectively.
The
government of India also confirmed its support to Mongolia's candidacy
to the UN Human Rights Council for the term 2016-2018.
"In a
reflection of our commitment to further deepen our relationship, we have
decided to upgrade our Comprehensive Partnership to 'Strategic
Partnership'. We also agreed to renew our Treaty of Friendly Relations
and Cooperation," he said.
Modi said India and Mongolia can boost
cooperation in the field of civil nuclear as Mongolia is rich in
uranium and in mineral resources. "I hope that location will not be a
constraint on Mongolia's right to choose its partners."
In his
address at the Mongolian parliament, or Great Hural, which was convened
on Sunday as a special gesture in honour for the Indian prime minister,
Modi said Mongolia terming India as its spiritual neighbour is a high
form of honour.
There are "no bonds more sacred than this. We in India are honoured that you think of us this way".
On
terrorism, the joint statement said both prime ministers "noted that
the nature and spread of international terrorism in recent years poses a
threat to all humanity and requires global resolve and cooperative
measures of the international community without double standards or
selectivity".
Both agreed to direct their officials to work
together for the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism.
The two prime ministers "expressed hope that all safe havens and sanctuaries for terrorists will be wiped out without delay".
In
the field of defence, both sides agreed to continue to work towards
further intensifying bilateral defence and security cooperation through
exchanges of high and mid-level visits, regular consultations, military
personnel exchanges and capacity building among other things.
Among
the memoranda of understanding (MoUs) is one for setting up a Cyber
Security Training Centre in Mongolia's defence ministry, as part of
which India will train Mongolian personnel in cyber security.
The
national security councils of both countries are to hold consultations
on traditional and non-traditional security issues, counter-terrorism,
intelligence cooperation and exchange.
Both sides also inked an
MoU on enhancing cooperation between their border guarding forces in
capacity building, exchange of best practices, conduct of joint
exercises, technologies for border guarding, surveillance and policing.
Modi
later handed over Bhabhatron, a telecobalt machine developed by the
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for cancer treatment, at Mongolia's
National Cancer Centre here.
He also laid the foundation stone
of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre for Excellence in Information
Technology & Communication and Outsourcing.
Modi met Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, who gifted him a morin khuur, a traditional two-stringed fiddle.
Modi
presented Elbegdorj with a specially commissioned reproduction of a
rare 13th century manuscript on the history of Mongols from the Rampur
Raza Library, Rampur.