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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends,

I am delighted to see you again.

This year, we celebrate a remarkable date, the 85^th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Khalkin Gol against Japanese aggressors.

Overall, the relations between our countries have developed throughout the decades on a very positive and firm foundation of cooperation and friendship.

It should be noted that last year, we recorded a slight decrease in mutual trade; however, there has been substantial growth this year, and we have gained a good momentum during the first six months of 2024.

We continue to develop our humanitarian ties. I want to note that the quota of Mongolian students in Russia is one of the highest – 620 people. We are willing to raise it further.

I have spoken about our trade and economic cooperation, but when necessary, especially if Mongolia faces issues caused by climate change, we make efforts to provide help in the form of grain supplies, other goods and energy, which are delivered free of charge.

Speaking of which, energy remains one of the major areas of cooperation for us. This work is going smoothly, but there is room for expansion. We can discuss boosting supplies of hydrocarbons and electricity.

I am very glad to have this opportunity to exchange opinions on the entire scope of our relations, including our coordinated efforts in international affairs. We work extensively at the UN and other platforms, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Right now, we are finalising a treaty between Mongolia and the EAEU, and I believe it will be another progressive step to formally strengthen the legal framework of our relations and create actual new opportunities for expanding our cooperation.

I am very glad to see you.

And of course, my congratulations on your party winning the parliamentary elections. I understand that you quit the party ahead of the presidential election to comply with the constitution. However, it is a party you have ties with and its victory undoubtedly is another domestic political achievement of yours. Congratulations.

President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh (retranslated): Thank you, Mr President.

I am glad to meet with you once again today.

I would like to express my gratitude and congratulate you on your re-election as President of the Russian Federation. This reaffirms the comprehensive support that the people of Russia have given you, as well as their support for your country’s development policy. On behalf of the Mongolian people and in my personal capacity, I once again extend my congratulations on your re-election. I believe this is a testament to the fact that your policy is correct.

As you have noted, several days ago we held regular

parliamentary elections, and the Mongolian People's Party emerged as the winner with a majority of votes, enabling us to form the government. Under the new Constitution of Mongolia, we will have 126 members of parliament.

Our economic situation has also improved significantly over the past year. In brief, we achieved a real economic growth rate of 7.2 percent, with inflation reaching six percent after the coronavirus pandemic.

During the Belt and Road forum in Beijing last year, we had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with you and members of your delegation, particularly trade and economic matters.

Furthermore, the 25^th meeting of the Mongolia-Russia Intergovernmental Commission took place last year, which proved to be very substantive and fruitful.

In the first six months of 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov met with their counterparts to discuss various issues concerning bilateral relations. The co-chairs of the intergovernmental commission have been actively and proactively engaged, which brings us great satisfaction.

This year, we commemorate several important anniversaries in our cooperation, namely the 85^th anniversary of the victory in the battle of Khalkhin Gol and the 75^th anniversary of UBZhD [Ulaanbaatar Railway], which stands as the flagship of our bilateral cooperation. We celebrate these milestones with great achievements.

Additionally, we have conducted expeditions to identify the remains of Red Army soldiers who died on Mongolian territory.

We hope that you will join us in celebrating these anniversaries and visit our country.

Our bilateral cooperation has been progressing in all spheres over the past few years. I would like to make a special mention of the Ulaanbaatar Railway. Last year, it transported five million tonnes of cargo, which was a record-breaking result.

We are increasing transit shipments from Europe to Eurasia and the transportation of cargo from Europe to China. We regard this as a good opportunity to increase the throughput capacity of the Ulaanbaatar Railway. It is a much-needed decision, since the Ulaanbaatar Railway is one of our three main economic trade corridors. We should build a parallel railway line and convert the existing railway network to electricity.

There are also plans to build a railway line connecting the Russian Far East to the People’s Republic of China via Eastern Mongolia. The proposed western line would connect the Republic of Tyva with our Chinese partners via Western Mongolia. This way, we will create new economic development corridors, which will facilitate the development of trilateral cooperation between Russia, Mongolia and China.

That is why we put a high value on the implementation of the Transit Mongolia project. It is a large project of great importance for the economy. We also look forward to implementing a gas pipeline project. We are waiting for a relevant political decision from both Russia and China, and we strongly hope that this project will eventually be initiated.

We are facing a severe shortage of energy. Our economy is growing, and the demand for electricity is growing as well. We joined forces with our Chinese colleagues to build the Erdeneburen hydropower plant, and this project is progressing rapidly. During our meeting in Beijing, I mentioned that it would be good if a similar project was launched jointly with Russia, namely, the Egiin Gol hydropower plant. Of course, we are aware of the environmental aspects, which we are ready to address jointly with Russia.

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