India and Mongolia on Wednesday decided to operationalise their pact on civil nuclear cooperation by assisting in capacity creation for Ulan Bator’s nuclear sector and considering the manner in which India would begin uranium mining in Mongolia.
At the second meeting of the India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation jointly chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur and Mongolian Minister of Education & Science Yondongiin Otgonbayar, Mongolia invited Indian participation in its uranium mining sector including through joint ventures and investment. Mongolia also welcomed Indian participation in the mining of coal, coking coal and other minerals in Mongolia.
India offered a short course on radiography for Mongolian personnel at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai and assistance to set up a regulatory and radiation protection framework in Mongolia.
Both countries had signed the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of peaceful use ofradioactive minerals & nuclear energy during Mongolian President’s visit in September last year. Both sides also decided to update bilateral ties to the level of a “Comprehensive Partnership.”
Seeks assistance
Besides the nuclear sector, Mongolia sought Indian assistance in a number of sectors including establishing a National Centre for Research in Animal Diseases (Pandemics), water harvesting and construction of dams, biotechnology and development of the Mongolian dairy sector. Mongolia presented a formal proposal for an India-Mongolia Joint Information Technology Education and Outsourcing Centre utilising the dollars 20 million line of credit extended by India on special concessional terms.
