Pradhan to visit Mongolia this week

Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will visit Mongolia between October 8 and 9 as a follow-up of the state visit the President of Mongolia to India last month, an official statement said on Sunday.

"On 8 October, 2019, the minister will participate in the opening ceremony of infrastructure that Mongolia has already constructed for the Indian-funded Mongol refinery project," it said.

During the visit, he will have meetings with the Mongolian Minister for Mining and Heavy Industry to "develop a road map for commencing the construction of the refinery. Possible areas of collaboration in other sectors like mining, coking coal, and railways will also be discussed," it said.

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

The Mongol refinery project is being developed under a line of credit of USD 1.23 billion extended by India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mongolia in 2015 and, subsequently, increased during the visit of the President of Mongolia to India last month.

Engineers India Ltd, under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is the project management consultant for the development of the oil refinery.