PRIME MINISTER OF MONGOLIA MAKES HISTORIC VISIT TO MIDDLE EAST

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, Dec. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prime Minister of Mongolia, L. Oyun-Erdene, has completed a week-long visit to the Middle East during which he discussed how to increase bilateral co-operation and promote economic development with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

During his visit, the Prime Minister met with:

• Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, with whom he discussed expanding bilateral co-operation in the areas of renewable energy, minerals and environmental protection
• Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, with the two leaders discussing plans to work together to promote economic development and combat desertification
• President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who agreed with Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene on the importance of strengthening ties in areas ranging from the digital economy to tourism

The historic nature of the visit – which included the first ever official visit by a Prime Minister of Mongolia to Bahrain – and the seniority of those meeting with the Prime Minister, underscore Mongolia's increasing attractiveness to international partners as a destination for foreign direct investment. This follows Mongolia's economy growing by 7% in 2023.

During his time in the region, the Prime Minister also gave a keynote speech to the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 16), taking place in Riyadh, during which he outlined the impact of desertification on Mongolia and the need for international collaboration to tackle this issue. Mongolia will host the UNCCD COP 17 summit in 2026.

The Prime Minister also attended the One Water Summit taking place in Riyadh, where in a meeting with President Macron of France both leaders expressed their interest in expanding co-operation in the mining sector in an environmentally-sustainable way, and commencing work on major joint projects in the near future.

Commenting on his visit, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, L. Oyun-Erdene, said:

"Strengthening Mongolia's economic and diplomatic links with key Third Neighbours in the Middle East is vital to secure the investment that will deliver a better standard of living for our people and tackle the environmental challenges that threaten our nomadic heritage.

"In working more closely with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, we can unlock new opportunities in mining, renewable energy, tourism, agriculture and other sectors, partnering to deliver major projects to the benefit of our citizens.

"The success of my visit shows that countries in fast-growing parts of the world are increasingly looking on Mongolia as a partner for growth and economic development, and I look forward to our ties in the region going from strength-to-strength in the years ahead."

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