President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh (retranslated): Mr President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin,
Our guests – members of the delegation,
I want to welcome you and wish you a pleasant stay with us, in our wonderful country.
I want to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude from the Mongolian side for your being in our country on an official visit in the year when we celebrate the 85th anniversary of our common victory in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
This year we will also mark 75 years since the establishment of the Mongolian-Russian joint railway – the joint-stock company UBTZ [Ulaanbaatar Railway]. In addition, we are celebrating 100 years of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Russian Federation.
We traditionally mark this holiday of the historic victory at Khalkhin Gol to honour the glorious memory of our fighters who did not spare their lives as they heroically fought for the independence and territorial integrity of our countries and states, and to ensure that their patriotism and merits are passed on from generation to generation and that the feeling of involvement in historic events is preserved.
It is also gratifying to stress that our relations – between our countries and peoples – are traditionally friendly and that our neighbouring countries continue to strengthen relations and cooperation with time and give them new substance. At present, our relations and cooperation have reached the level of comprehensive strategic partnership.
I also believe, Mr President, that your current visit will undoubtedly make a great contribution to developing our neighbourly and friendly relations.
In particular, your visit should give an additional impetus to the development of our trade and economic relations in order to fill them with economic substance, primarily in such areas as the fuel and energy complex, road and transport logistics, environmental protection, as well as in culture, education, healthcare and other sectors of humanitarian interaction.
This is why I want to wish you once again a pleasant stay in our country and give you the floor.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President,
First of all, I want to thank you once again for your invitation. These autumn meetings in Mongolia, in September, have become a tradition.
In 1939, Soviet and Mongolian soldiers strongly retaliated against the Japanese aggressors and defended Mongolia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The bonds of combat brotherhood that linked our two nations continue to serve as a solid foundation for friendship, cooperation, and neighbourliness. I am confident that this legacy should be passed on to future generations.
Today, we will lay flowers at the Ulaanbaatar Memorial to Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov, one of the figures behind the victory at Khalkhin Gol.
Symbolically, another monument to Zhukov was recently unveiled in Choibalsan, a city named after the famous Mongolian commander from the Khalkhin Gol era.
Our country remembers and appreciates the assistance that Mongolia provided to the USSR during the Great Patriotic War, as well as its combat support in the course of efforts to crush the Kwantung Army in 1945.
Mr President, we hope that you will join us in the celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Great Victory next May.
Our relations with Mongolia, which have been elevated to the high level of a comprehensive strategic partnership, remain a priority of our Asia policy. We maintain a stable dialogue between heads of government, speakers of parliament, and leaders of public organisations, as well as in the security sphere. The two countries are implementing a programme of action to develop inter-regional and border cooperation. As for our trade and economic ties, we have been strengthening them with great success: in the period from January to July of this year, trade between our countries grew by 21 percent.
We have drafted and practically completed a provisional trade agreement between the EAEU and Mongolia, which will facilitate, among other things, the delivery of traditional Mongolian export goods to the Russian market.
As usual, we pay much attention to humanitarian ties, including in the field of education. A large number of Mongolian students are being trained in Russia, and we plan to offer an additional 620 openings for the 2024/2025 academic year. We appreciate the Mongolian young people’s focus on learning Russian.
We work constructively together on the international stage, including at major international venues.
I am certain that today’s visit will give us the opportunity to discuss in detail the key issues related to cooperation between our countries with the aim of promoting even further the comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Mongolia.
Thank you.