India and Mongolia on Tuesday discussed ways to further enhance bilateral defence and strategic ties during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Lt General Saikhanbayar Gursed in Ulaanbaatar. Rajnath is the first Defence Minister to visit Mongolia.
Giving details of his engagements, defence ministry officials said here Rajnath also called on the President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and Chairman of State Great Khural.
The defence minister also inaugurated a Cyber Security Training Centre, built with assistance from India and laid the foundation stone of the India-Mongolia Friendship School, to be constructed with Indian assistance. On bilateral talks, the officials said the two ministers discussed effective and practical initiatives to further expand bilateral defence engagements.
The two leaders deliberated on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values of democracy and rule of law. The two Ministers also reiterated their resolve to reinvigorate the India-Mongolia Joint Working Group (JWG), which will meet in India later this year.
In his interaction with the Mongolian president, the two leadersrecalled their strong bonhomie and previous interaction in 2018 when together they laid the foundation stone for the ongoing oil refinery project being undertaken by assistance from India.
Rajnath also met Chairman of State Great Khural of Mongolia G Zandanshatar.
Rajnath along with Minister of Education and Science of Mongolia, laid the foundation stone of the India-Mongolia Friendship School, which is being established with the assistance from Government of India.
India established diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955. Mongolia has declared India as a strategic partner and “spiritual neighbour”. In 2015, “strategic partnership” between the two Asian democracies was declared during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Defence is an important element of bilateral engagements with Mongolia.