Mangolia, September 15: India and Mongolia signed the Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation pact on Monday, pledging to upgrade bilateral ties to a new level, thus taking their 2700 year-old relationship into the new millennium.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ‘Development of Cooperation In the Field of Peaceful Use of Radioactive Minerals and Nuclear Energy’ was signed here after talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and visiting Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.
The MOU was signed by Mr Tserengiin Damdinsuren, Deputy Head of the Mongolian Atomic Energy Agency and Mr A P Joshi, Additional Secretary in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in the presence of Dr Singh and the Mongolian President.
The two countries also signed four other pacts including two agreements on Stabilisation Loan Assistance and Cooperation in Health and Medical Sciences, India-Mongolia Cultural Exchange Programme for 2009-2012 and an MOU on Cooperation in Statistical Matters.
The two agreements were signed by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, respectively, on behalf of India.
Mongolia also reiterated support to India’s claim for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for one more term.
Earlier, Dr Singh and the Mongolian President held delegation-level talks on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and regional and international situation.
—Agencies