The Canadian Ambassador to Mongolia, Gregory Goldhawk,
accompanied Prime Minister S.Batbold when he recently visited Canada. He
answers questions on the visit and on bilateral issues between the two
countries.

The Prime Minister has said that Canada could
be our model for development. Just what did he mean?
I was present at several of Mr. Batbold’s meetings and I would say he was
referring to Canada’s similarities to Mongolia in having a sparsely populated
and large territory and enormous natural resources.  I am glad that he held our country in such esteem.

What
would the Canadian model be?  
I
think it would mostly relate to development of mining and mineral resources and
the use of appropriate technology. We are ready to provide assistance in these.

What
were the principal issues discussed during the visit?
Investment
and its protection was one. Then there were talks on a free trade agreement. If
one is signed, it would be the first such Canadian agreement with an Asian
country. Three important memorandums were signed. The first was on cooperation in
transportation and construction; the second was on strengthening democratic
practices, such as reforming the state services; and the third was on information
technology and support in agriculture.

Diplomatic
relations were established 27 years ago but why was the Canadian Embassy opened
only two years ago?
Mongolia opened a Consulate in Toronto in 1998 and its Embassy in Ottawa in
2001. It now has honorary consuls in six provinces in Canada. On its part, Canada
appointed an honorary consul to Mongolia in 1997 and the Embassy was opened in
2008. We shall soon have a Trade Representative Office in Ulaanbaatar, so the relationship
keeps developing. Our two countries call it a “broad-frame partnership”.
There have been several exchanges of visits since the middle of the 1990s to
discuss matters of mutual interest. A “friendship and cooperation” memorandum
was signed in 1998. Canadian MPs set up a Canada-Mongolia friendship group in
2003.

What
are the main fields of cooperation?
The
possible areas are many, particularly in trade and economic matters. The volume
of bilateral trade is not big, but it rose last year to USD165 million. Canada
imports gold from Mongolia and exports agriculture equipments.

It
is hard to get a Canadian visa. Will this change?
The
issue was discussed during Mr. Batbold’s visit. I shall try to make things
easier.

Canada
is a major investor country in Mongolia. Will there be more investment?
I
think there is scope to raise investment in mining and in agriculture. The
other possible fields are construction, urban planning, infrastructure, road
and transportation, and technology.

What
about non-trade ties?
We
are partners in UN peacekeeping activities, and regular meetings are held on
developing good governance practices.

Are
disputes such as the one related to Khan Resources likely to affect investment?
I
do not know much about the particular dispute because I am still quite new here,
but both sides are trying to resolve the matter amicably. The number of companies
in the mining field has increased.

What
can the Government do if an investing company violates the law?
Every
country has its own legal environment and I am sure Canadian companies do and will
work strictly within it. Mining companies should also pay attention to
environmental protection as an expression of social responsibility. I think
Canadian companies are good in these respects.

Do
you see China as the main competitor of Canada in the Mongolian uranium field?
Not
only Canada, many other countries could work in the Mongolian uranium field. I
don’t see China as a strong competitor for Canada as we have much more
experience of safe mining of uranium.

How
do you see the present political situation in Mongolia?
I
have been here for only six weeks and am still observing things. I just want to
say I am very happy to represent my country in Mongolia.