Air services agreement among 13 inked by India, Mongolia

India and Mongolia on Sunday inked 13 agreements, including an air services agreement and in cyber security, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg here.

Modi and Saikhanbileg inked a new Strategic Partnership Agreement after their talks at the State Palace. Besides the 13 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), both sides inked a joint statement.

Both sides signed a revised air services agreement, which updates from previous arrangements of international air services between India and Mongolia. Both the nations are parties to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

They inked a treaty on the transfer of sentenced people which would enable the sentenced people to be near their families and help in the process of their social rehabilitation.

The 'Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Animal Health and Dairy' is for joint cooperation in the areas of dairy, quality control, modern technical application and marketing in dairy and animal disease control measures, an external affairs ministry statement said.

An agreement on 'Cooperation in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy' was aimed at setting up of a broad based cooperation in forms such as exchanging of experts for training of practitioners, mutual recognition of pharmacopoeias and formularies.

Besides, setting up of academic chairs, providing scholarships.

Both sides inked an MoU on 'Establishment of Cyber Security Training Centre' in Mongolia's defence ministry, under which India will also undertake the training of Mongolian personnel in cyber security.

An MoU on 'Establishment of India-Mongolia Joint Friendship School in Mongolia' was inked for establishment of a school jointly by India and Mongolia which would follow an open, inclusive and flexible curriculum to harness the potential of each child enabling them to grow both personally and professionally.

A programme on cooperation in the field of culture for 2015-2018 was inked to enhance cooperation in the field of culture through organisation of exhibitions, film festivals and also exchange of experts, students and journalists.

An MoU for cooperation between India's National Security Council and the National Security Council of Mongolia was inked under which both sides would hold regular consultations to cover both traditional and non-traditional security issues, counter-terrorism, intelligence cooperation and exchange.

An MoU on cooperation between India's external affairs ministry and Mongolia's foreign affairs ministry was inked to focus on all aspects of the bilateral relationship, especially in the areas of political, economic, commercial, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation.

The MoU supersedes the existing Protocol on Cooperation signed on September 17, 1996.

An MoU in new and renewable energy was inked to focus on solar energy and wind energy through the modalities of exchange of information and personnel, transfer of equipment and know-how, development of joint research or technical projects, determination of renewable energy resources etc.

An agreement on enhancing cooperation between the border guarding forces was also inked which envisages the setting up of a joint steering committee between India's home ministry and Mongolia' General Authority for Border Protection for cooperation in the areas of capacity building, exchange of best practices, conduct of joint exercises, technologies for border guarding, surveillance and policing.

An MoU between the Tata Memorial Centre of India and the National Cancer Center of Mongolia was inked for gifting Bhabhatron-II Tele-therapy Unit along with a Radiotherapy Simulator.

Besides, the Foreign Service Institute of the ministry of external affairs and the Diplomatic Academy of the ministry of foreign affairs of Mongolia inked an MoU which envisages exchange of trainees, students, faculty members and experts between India and Mongolia to enhance their skills and improve the training programme in both the countries.