Mr. Lu Bold, Foreign Minister of Mongolia called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday (January 16, 2013).

The President welcomed him and recalled the last visit of HE Mr. Bold to India as Defence Minister in February 2009. He referred to the ancient civilizational ties that link India and Mongolia as also our shared democratic values. Our common heritage and the Buddhist religion unite our peoples. He recalled that over the centuries, our people have had close ties in trade and close intellectual discourse. President stressed that both nations should build on this historical legacy for their mutual benefit.

The President noted with appreciation the cooperation between Mongolia and India in the United Nations and other international fora.

The Mongolian Foreign Minister warmly reciprocated the President’s words and described India as a long standing friend and partner of Mongolia both in bilateral cooperation as well as in multilateral fora. He appreciated India’s assistance over the decades and said that Mongolia considers India the ‘spiritual home’ of the Mongolians, as a valued third neighbour that has stood by Mongolia in its developmental efforts.

This release issued at 1830 hrs