Ansari arrives in Mongolia for 11th ASEM summit

Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari arrived in Ulan Bator, Mongolia on Thursday to attend the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

He was received at the Chenghis Khan International Airport by Mongolia's Head of Presidential Administration P. Tsangaan and India's Ambassador to Mongolia Gonghig Golbold.

The ASEM will be held on July 15 and 16 on the theme "20 years of ASEM Partnership for Future through Connectivity".

According to organizers, presidents and prime ministers from 34 countries will be attending the event.

Over 3,000 international visitors are projected to travel to Mongolia for the summit, with some estimates as high as 5,000. Mongolia is hosting nine side events leading up to the main show, including the 8th Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Editors Roundtable, the ASEM Consultative Meeting on Food Security, and the 15th Asia-Europe Business Forum.

President Park Geun-hye of South Korea, Premier Li Keqiang of China, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are just a few of the high-profile Asian leaders expected to attend.

President of the European Council Donald Tusk and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, will also make appearances this weekend in Mongolia's capital.

The 12th summit will be held in Brussels, Belgium, in 2018.