Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has made an official visit to Mongolia at the invitation of Mongolian Foreign Minister D.Tsogtbaatar.

During the trip, which lasted from 15-17 June, Taro Kono held talks with D.Tsogtbaatar to affirm close cooperation in addressing the main issues on the Japan-Mongolian agenda; he also made a courtesy visit to President Kh.Battulga.

Tokyo’s top diplomat attended the opening of the Mongolia-Japan Teaching Hospital, which is under the auspices of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. This state-of-the-art establishment which was built with Japanese official development assistance.

Foreign Minister Kono’s trip was important: it was the first foreign ministerial visit from Japan to Mongolia for nine years. Previously, former Foreign Ministers Sosuke Uno, Yoriko Kawaguchi, and Katsuya Okada visited Mongolia in 1989, 2004, and 2010 respectively.