“Certainly, Russia is a major exporter of natural resources, especially energy resources. And China needs that badly,” the retired professor of the City University of Hong Kong said.

He explained that Russia’s supplies of natural resources reduce China’s dependence on the Middle East, on trade routes from the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and across the Indian Ocean to China’s coast.

“[The] Belt and Road project gives a lot of opportunity for the trade to become balanced,” he said.

International financial expert Andrew Leung also spoke to RT, saying that “Right from the start, Russia features significantly in the Belt and Road…”

According to him, “Russia is important as a large energy supplier and as a geopolitical counterweight to America's global pushback against China.”

There is much synergy with the Russia-led Eurasia Economic Union (EEU), he said. The Belt and Road links virtually all countries in the EEU, including land-locked nations in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization co-founded by Russia and China. “The B&R (Belt and Road) regional infrastructural links are set to unlock the economic and human potential of the Eurasia Economic Union, to the benefit of all,” said the strategist.

The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in China on April 25 – 27. The Russian president, who arrived in Beijing on Thursday, will hold a series of meetings, including with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Putin told China’s Renmin Ribao newspaper ahead of his visit that “The ties between Russia and China are at their highest point in the entire 70-year history of diplomatic relations and will continue to develop steadily.”

B.Khurts was accused of breaching of laws on intelligence procedures for having used torture to obtain a confession from defendants of the much-publicised murder case of the politician S.Zorig, who one of the heroes of Mongolia’s peaceful transition to democracy and a likely future prime-minister. Following an investigation lasting two decades – in which there have been accusations of cover-ups and during which numerous people, including the victim’s wife, have been detained – Ts.Amgalanbaatar and two others were sentenced to 24-25 years in prison for the murder of S.Zorig.

The murder of S.Zorig case was transferred to the Criminal Police Department from Independent Authority of Anti-Corruption due to the lack of human resources on 19 March.

Leaving the EU with a deal remains the UK government’s top priority. This has not changed. However, the government is continuing with no deal preparations to ensure the country is prepared for every eventuality.

The UK does not have a trade agreement with Mongolia.

Please review the full guidance at https://www.gov.uk/guid…/exporting-to-mongolia-after-eu-exit

For press inquiries please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 485-6150.

Xi made the remark while meeting with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Battulga is on a five-day visit to China that started on Wednesday. He also is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

With the two presidents as witnesses, China and Mongolia signed cooperation documents to connect the Belt and Road Initiative with the Mongolia-proposed Path of Development Initiative. Xi hosted a ceremony to welcome Battulga before their talks.

Hailing Mongolia as a good neighbor, friend and partner of China, Xi said that the bilateral relationship has entered a fast track.

China will continue to support Mongolia's efforts to promote economic development and improve the people's livelihood, Xi said.

The two countries should uphold the right political direction, push forward cooperation in all areas and become each other's strategic partner with mutual respect and trust, he said.

Xi said the two countries should maintain high-level exchanges and respect each other's core interests and major concerns.

He also called for greater effort to advance practical cooperation in jointly building the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.

China and Mongolia should streamline their trading structure and explore their cooperation potential, Xi said, adding that the two countries should enhance border exchanges and jointly build a prosperous border to facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The two countries should enhance communication and coordination in global and regional affairs and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi said.

Battulga reaffirmed Mongolia's commitment to the one-China policy, saying that Taiwan and Tibet are China's territory and matters related to Taiwan and Tibet are China's domestic affairs.

It's a priority of Mongolia's diplomacy to develop a long-term friendly neighborhood and enhance cooperation with China, he said.

Mongolia would like to work with China to draw a blueprint for bilateral relations and connect the Path of Development Initiative with the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

The two countries should enhance cooperation in such areas as trade, electricity, agriculture and animal husbandry, infrastructure construction and airlines, he said.

Mongolia appreciates China's role in maintaining the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, Battulga said, adding that Mongolia would like to enhance coordination with China on regional affairs.

"We confirm our aspiration to make utmost use of the existing potential for deeper military and military-technical cooperation," Shoigu said at talks with Mongolian counterpart Nyamaagiin Enkhbold on Wednesday.

"We hope that Mongolia will be broadly represented at events organized by the Russian Defense Ministry in 2019," he said.

Mongolia is grateful to Russia for its military-technical assistance and hopes for more positive boost to further cooperation with Moscow, Enkhbold said for his part.

"Our country attaches particular importance with relations with Russia. The Mongolian prime minister is expected to pay a visit to Russia this year. I am sure it will lend new impetus to the development of bilateral relations. I am especially hopeful that the visit will be of significant importance for our military and military-technical cooperation," Enkhbold said.

"The training on disaster preparedness is the biggest such exercise in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator in 29 years," Enkhbat Enerelbuyan, foreign affairs officer of the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told Xinhua.

"This training is being organized to improve the preparedness of all public and private entities in Ulan Bator in order to mitigate damages from possible natural disasters and to improve public awareness of disaster preparedness and response," she said.

"Around half a million people across Mongolia's capital gathered Thursday at a total of 111 temporary gathering sites and received information how to protect themselves and their family members and how to give first aid care during an earthquake," she noted.

In addition, more than 3,000 residents of the city took part in an earthquake evacuation drill, she added.

All households in the city have been provided with emergency preparedness handouts, the NEMA said in a statement.

The three-day preparedness training starting Wednesday includes emergency evacuation drills, workshops on how to protect oneself and one's family and how to send accurate information to the public during a destructive earthquake.

Mongolia has seen a significant increase in earthquakes in recent years, according to the country's government press office.

A total of 261 earthquakes were recorded across the country in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 70 from the same period last year. Enditem

During the meeting, the United States and Mongolia welcomed the 31st anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Mongolia and took note of the Roadmap for Expanded Economic Partnership, which they endorsed in September 2018. They also highlighted the positive role that TIFA discussions can play in supporting Mongolia’s efforts to develop a prosperous market-based economy.

The United States and Mongolia also discussed a range of bilateral trade and investment issues. Key issues included transparency, the investment climate, intellectual property rights protection and enforcement, trade in cashmere, the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), trade facilitation, and trade promotion.

Mongolia will host the next meeting of the TIFA Council in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Background

Total bilateral trade in goods was $131 million in 2018. U.S. goods exports to Mongolia in 2018 were $121 million, up 47.1% ($39 million) from 2017 and up 111.2% from 2008. Imports of goods from Mongolia were $10 million in 2018. U. S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mongolia was $147 million in 2017, a 63.3% increase from 2016.

The decision will cover Emirati citizens carrying all types of passports who are travelling to Mongolia, and grant them a maximum stay of 30 days upon their entry.

Ahmad Sari Al Mazroui, Undersecretary for Consular Affairs at the ministry, said that the decision reflects the strong relations between the two countries, and will promote tourism and create new business, trade and investment opportunities.

He added that the UAE’s citizens are prioritised by the country’s leadership, which is working to achieve their happiness, while noting that Mongolia’s decision reflects the UAE’s international stature, as well as the keenness of the Mongolian government to consolidate its overall relations with the UAE government.

Mongolia’s decision is the result of the ministry’s consular efforts to strengthen the UAE’s international stature and offer the best services to Emirati citizens during their travels, as well as to promote cooperation in the areas of tourism, business and investment with friendly countries, noted Al Mazroui.