The 20th Mongolia and Russian Inter-Governmental Commission Meeting for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation took  place on 13th and 14th of December in Ulaanbaatar. Vice-Premier U.Khurelsukh has led the Mongolian delegation and Sergei Donskoi, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment the Russian delegation. The two sides have signed a protocol and agreed to strengthen cooperation in the spheres of food, agriculture, environment, technology, highways and other forms of transportation.

Minister Donskoi said: 'The 20^th Inter-Governmental Commission Meeting between our two countries has been a great success. We have discussed cooperation in a number of sectors. Out of these, I would like to highlight trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Mongolia. Currently, economic cooperation faces some difficulties; the volume of trade between our two countries decreased by 22% in 2015 and it had a negative rating in 2016. We need to put into action the ideas negotiated at a political level.’

The following actions were agreed at the commission meeting:

• Mongolian and Russian Central Banks to organise a meeting of creditors in 2017

• In total, 70 Mongolian students will receive scholarships from the Russian Federation and study in universities under the control of the Ministry of Transport.

• Rail transport issues to be finalised and an inter-governmental agreement will be signed in 2017.

• The Russian side expressed interest on establishing a joint company and to participate in Mongolian energy projects as well as the reconstruction of power stations.

• Russia and Mongolia agreed to start the second stage in the joint programme for ‘making Mongolian livestock more healthy’. This project is essential in order to increase exports to Russia.

• Both sides agreed to hold an annual inter-commission meeting with an agenda of preventing forest fires. Russia has declared 2017, the year of Ecology and Protecting Nature. On this occasion, a creative competition will be held among Russian and Mongolian students.

• The next 21^st Mongolia and Russian Inter-Governmental Commission Meeting will be held in Russia in February, 2017