President meets with UN and World Bank delegations to discuss mutual cooperation

President Kh.Battulga held meetings with World Bank Country Manager for Mongolia James Anderson and Officer-In-Charge and Representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to Mongolia Adnan Quereshi on August 3 to discuss ongoing cooperation projects and future cooperation issues between Mongolia and their respective organizations.

During their meeting, Quereshi emphasized that Mongolia is targeting agriculture as a key area of its development and noted that the FAO is working with Mongolia to improve its livestock health, veterinary structure, the lives of herders and nutritional health, and to promote vegetable supply chain.

President Kh.Battulga said that despite vast resources in Mongolia’s agricultural sector, the sector has been neglected in last decade and underlined the necessity to get the agricultural sector back on its feet, which could present great opportunities for the Mongolian economy.

He stated that Mongolia wants to collaborate with the FAO and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the humanitarian sector by providing countries requiring humanitarian aid with Mongolian food products, especially meat.

During his meeting with the World Bank delegation, President Kh.Battulga pointed out that despite producing 30 percent of the world cashmere supply, Mongolia has not been able to manufacture final product by fully taking advantages of Mongolian cashmere production, and the country is also exporting raw agricultural products without adding value.

President Kh.Battulga highlighted that while serving as Minister of Roads, Transportation and Construction and as Minister of Agriculture and Industry, he realized that Mongolia will not be able to develop its economy without dealing with challenges facing the agricultural sector and manufacturing industry. He expressed hope to closely cooperate with international organizations to develop value-added production in Mongolia.

Anderson agreed with the President’s remarks and stressed that the World Bank supports non-mining product exports.