Earlier today, Ulaanbaatar City Mayor S.Batbold, met Alexander Golkov, Mayor of Ulan-Ude which is the capital of the Russian Republic of Buryatia, on the sidelines of the Northeast Asian Mayors’ Forum.  During the meeting, Mayor Golkov highlighted importance of building new forms of cooperation for developing trade and economic relations between Ulaanbaatar and Ulan-Ude. He said, that a new Ulan-Ude Representative Office has recently opened in the Mongolian capital.

Literally meaning, the Red Gate, Ulan-Ude was established as a Russian cossack trading post in 1735 under the name of Udinsk, following their expansion into Buryat territory in the previous century. Today, with a population of almost half-a-million, it is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway and links Moscow to China via Mongolia. It is the closest city immediately north of Mongolia and enjoys twin-city status with Ulaanbaatar.

In total, 18 mayors and decision-makers from six countries and 300 delegates of international organisations are participating in the Northeast Asian Mayors’ Forum.