Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on July 7 offered to help Mongolia in training its parliamentarians and officials, as well as in developing parliamentary institutions. He also toured a Mongolian oil refinery project being built with Indian assistance and expressed confidence that the landlocked east Asian nation would support India’s candidature as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2028-29.
Mr. Birla called on President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and the Speaker of the Great Khural, Gombojavyn Zandanshatar.
Also Read | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets Mongolian counterpart, discusses ways to enhance defence ties
In his meetings with the Mongolian Prime Minister and Speaker, Mr. Birla suggested that the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) could organise capacity-building programmes for Mongolian parliamentarians, officials and staff. The Indian Parliament was ready to cooperate in helping to develop Mongolia’s parliamentary institutions and upgrading its research and library facilities, Mr. Birla said.
He toured the oil refinery project, which is vital to Mongolia’s energy security, and is the largest project undertaken abroad by India under the Line of Credit programme. The project reflects the close economic and strategic partnership between the two countries, Mr. Birla said.
The LS Speaker noted that the shared heritage of Buddhism underpins the ties between the two countries and reaffirmed India’s commitment to further strengthen and broaden its strategic partnership with Mongolia.
(with PTI inputs)
