Dharmendra Pradhan to visit Mongolia on October 8

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will pay a two-day visit to Mongolia from October 8 as a follow up of the state visit by Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga in September, an official statement said on Sunday.

"On October 8, the Minister will participate in the opening ceremony of infrastructure that Mongolia has already constructed for the Indian funded, Mongol Refinery project," the statement read.

The refinery project is being developed under a line of credit of USD 1.236 billion extended by New Delhi during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mongolia in 2015 and subsequently enhanced during the State visit of the President of Mongolia to India in September 2019.

During the visit, Pradhan will hold meetings with the Mongolian Minister for Mining and Heavy Industry to, "develop a roadmap for commencing the construction of the Refinery". Possible areas of collaboration in other sectors like mining, coking coal, and railways will also be discussed.

The Minister will call on the Prime Minister and President of Mongolia.

The two countries had reached a strategic partnership during PM Modi's visit to Mongolia in 2015. A number of high-level exchanges have taken place since then and the partnership has seen considerable progress during the last few years.