Finance Minister S.Bayartsogt and Australian Ambassador to Mongolia Sam Gerovich on Thursday signed an agreement to bolster Australia’s volunteer efforts in Mongolia.

Under the agreement, the Australian government will merge its various volunteer programs in Mongolia into a single program to be known as the Australian Volunteer Program for Development. Australia will also increase the number of volunteers working in Mongolia from 25 to 30.

Australian volunteers work in the fields of health, environment, education, and journalism for periods ranging from three to 12 months. They also work at the World Bank, the UN Development Program, and on anti-poverty programs. About 120 Australians have volunteered in Mongolia since the various programs began in 1998

Besides increasing the volunteer program, the Australian government also says it will increase its development aid to Mongolia to USD 12 million.