Speaking at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Bali, Indonesia on July 22 and 23, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade G.Zandanshatar elaborated the position of Mongolia in issues relating to security in the Northeast Asian region, which includes the Korean peninsula, and to global environment. He referred to Mongolia’s increased contribution to UN peacekeeping work in Afghanistan and its assumption of the Chair of the Community of Democracies.

He also met with his counterparts in Canada, South Korea, Japan, Russia, the USA and Indonesia and exchanged opinions. Talking to Japanese and US officials, Zandanshatar reiterated that Mongolian laws prohibited entry into the country of any nuclear waste.

South Korea, Japan, Russia and the USA stated their positions on exploitation of large deposit mines in Mongolia. Zandanshatar and Indonesian officials discussed increased cooperation in culture, tourism and investment sectors.

The European Union representatives said the EU was actively reviewing the issue of taking Mongolia’s name out of the list of non market economy countries.