He recalled that Kuwait has rendered financial assistance of USD 500.0 thousand during dzud of 2000-2001 winter and aid for eliminating the damages caused by last summer’s flood in Bayan-Olgii.

The Speaker also underlined that, while noting the bilateral political and economic relations has been progressing rapidly within the last couple decades, the people of Mongolia are always grateful for the developments constructed on the financing of Kuwait, such as the road constructions and the project on Taishir’s Hydropower Plant. “The research center, initiated by Your Highness has been operating in Ulaanbaatar with success and is conducting the feasibility study for expansion project of Undurkhaan Airport”, added Mr Enkhbold.

As Your Highness is well acquainted with Mongolia, he said, we have sea of cooperation opportunities in mining, agriculture, tourism, construction and infrastructure.

Chairman of the SGK M.Enkhbold added that the new cabinet has been working for attracting more foreign investment, protecting investors’ interests and sophisticating the legal and business grounds for promoting international investments to Mongolia.

In turn, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said “We always appreciate Mongolia’s support for Kuwait in times of Iraq war. Please make Yourself at home. Although the weather has been stern for the recent days in our country, I believe this is nothing for Mongolians. Please convey my gratitude along with my greetings to the President of Mongolia”.

Expressing his hope that the issues of loan and financial assistance by the Kuwiat Fund would be settled with positive results, the Emir noted that Kuwait itself has been facing some economic decline in regard to the fall of oil price. “Nevertheless, our side will be willing to give a helping hand to our Mongolian friends”, he went on. His Highness the Emir said that he recognizes the Speaker’s visit to his country of great importance as it is crucial to strengthen cooperation and friendship between the peoples and the legislative bodies.

At the end this meeting, His Highness the Emir wished prosperity to the growth of Mongolia and wellbeing and happiness to the people.

“The Dalai Lama’s visit by the invitation of Gandan Monastery negatively affected two countries and these two countries have a misunderstanding,” Mongolian Foreign Minister Munkh-Orgil Tsend told the Onoodor newspaper Wednesday. “The government feels sorry for this,’’ he said, adding that the Dalai Lama “probably won’t be visiting Mongolia again during this administration.’’

The Mongolian foreign ministry declined to provide further information when asked about the minister’s comments.

China called off talks with Mongolian senior officials after the Dalai Lama’s four-day visit to Ulaanbaatar beginning Nov. 18. Mongolia has been seeking soft loans from sources including China and the International Monetary Fund as it struggles with a $1 billion budget gap and looming debt repayments.

A traditionally Buddhist nation that has deep historical ties to Tibet, Mongolia has hosted the current Dalai several times since 1979. Past visits have been met with reprisals from Beijing, which considers the Dalai Lama to be a separatist leader and routinely condemns nations that give him a platform to speak.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing Wednesday in Beijing that China “attaches great importance to the explicit statement made by the Mongolian foreign minister.”

“China’s stand on Tibet-related issues is firm and clear,” Hua said. “We hope that Mongolia will truly learn lessons from this incident, truly respect the core interests of China, honor its promise and make efforts to improve the relations between China and Mongolia.”

The estimate was presented at a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday between 4 groups preparing for the Games.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, the president of the organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, and the cabinet minister in charge of the Tokyo Games, Tamayo Marukawa, attended the meeting. The Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, John Coates, participated through a video-conference system.

At the start of the talks, Governor Koike revealed her decision to build a new volleyball arena in Tokyo's Ariake waterfront district as initially planned for the 2020 Games.
The decision on the volleyball venue had been postponed at their meeting last month.

The organizing committee said the total cost of the games would be between 13.6 billion dollars and 15.3 billion dollars.

It proposed it would pay up to 4.2 billion dollars, and other organizations would shoulder the remaining 11 billion dollars.

Committee president Mori called Wednesday's meeting a new start. He said the Tokyo Metropolitan government and his committee share the same goal of reducing expenses.

Mori added that he hopes to begin discussions on role-sharing arrangements with Tokyo and other related municipalities as soon as possible.

Koike indicated that detailed talks will be needed on ways to divide the costs other than those shouldered by the organizing committee. She said methods to reduce expenses and increase the organizing committee's revenues also need further discussion.

Koike added that the decision on role-sharing is a domestic matter, and she hopes the Japanese government, the organizing committee, and the Tokyo government can start discussions early next year.