DM Monitoring
ULAN BATOR: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolia and China have maintained active cooperation, setting a real example of how neighboring countries help each other and overcome difficulties together, Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg has said.
“Strengthening continuously mutually-beneficial cooperation with China is one of the Mongolian foreign policy priorities,” Battsetseg told in a recent interview.
Describing China as Mongolia’s eternal neighbor with a long history of traditional relations, she said it’s pleasing to see that the comprehensive strategic partnership with China has been deepening in all areas.
Last year, the two countries exchanged high-level visits and held meetings of intergovernmental commissions, maintained trade and economic interactions, and effective cooperation in preventing and curbing the spread of the pandemic, Battsetseg noted.
“We are sincerely grateful to the Chinese government and people for donating vaccines and essential medical equipment to Mongolia during this difficult time, as well as for sharing experiences in successfully combating the pandemic,” she said, adding that China’s vaccine support is very important for Mongolia.
Mongolia launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its 3.3 million population.
So far, over 55 percent of its population have been fully vaccinated, according to the country’s health ministry.
“We believe that intensive and wide-ranging immunization will increase economic activity and opportunities for further cooperation with foreign countries, including China,” said Battsetseg.
In addition, within the framework of long-term and medium-term development policies, Mongolia has set specific goals and started implementing measures to reduce poverty, increase people’s incomes, improve quality of life and support business activities, said Battsetseg.
