Mongolia is to buy 71 fire-engines, along with other much-needed equipment for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which runs the fire stations across the country. The vehicles will be purchased with a soft loan from the Development Bank of Belarus. A total of EUR 13.1 million to cover the loans has been approved for Mongolia.

Minister of Finance of Mongolia Ch.Khurelbaatar and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Development Bank of Belarus Ivan Varenitsa signed separate agreement under the ‘General Agreement on Export Loans between the Governments of Mongolia and Belarus’ on 20 December.

According to requirements and standards for fire fighting and rescue operations, Mongolia’s fire brigades should have nine types of 501 fire-engines. However, only six types of 240 fire-engines are being used in the operations in Mongolia, which make up 48 percent of the required number.