A Mongolian team headed by Minister for Finance S.Bayartsogt returned home yesterday after taking part in the 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank in Hanoi between May 3 and 6.

The Minister held discussions with the Chief of the ADB’s Strategy and Policy Department, Kazu Sakai, and the Chief of its Eastern Asia section, K.Gerhausser on increasing the drawing rights of Mongolia and possibility of assistance from the ADB common fund. He pressed for agriculture to be added to the present sectors of cooperation as value added production in the sector has been accepted as being of strategic importance by the ADB. Mongolia would like the ADB to finance large infrastructure projects, apart from the aid already agreed upon. Sakai agreed to consider the plea for more drawing rights in 2011.

Bayartsogt also met with other important people on the sidelines of the meeting. The Vice President of JICA, Hiroshi Kodera, assured him Japan will continue with its aid program. The Minister also sounded the President of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Hiroshi Watanabe, on help with the Development Bank and on financing large projects of economic and social importance. Watanabe agreed to consider the request.