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T. Oyunbaatar: Address to World Summit 2020
Written by Dr. Tserendash Oyunbaatar, former Vice Prime Minister of Mongolia
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Address to World Summit 2020, Seoul, Korea, February 3-8, 2020
Respected Ladies and gentlemen, Distinguished guests!
Mongolia has announced in its Constitution its plans to pursue a peaceful foreign policy by adhering to the norms and principles of international law. Strengthening the peace of the countries in the two continents within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, through mutually beneficial economic cooperation with a scientific basis, would dramatically improve the standard of living of the people of each country. Also, natural resources will be circulated and the population would be provided with healthy, ecologically pure food, and everyone will have long lives and live wealthy in a healthy environment as well.
Although we have been talking about the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union and customs policy reforms for many years, there has been no significant change yet. Countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have discussed this topic, though it will not be successful without the involvement of advanced countries with the most developed economies in the region such as Korea and Japan. We are for brotherly friendship, mutual understanding, peace, and cooperation between North and South Korea.
Mongolia can play a key role in the development of the Eurasian region as follows:
- Large world-leading mining fields such as Oyu Tolgoi, Kharmagtai, Erdenet copper and gold deposits, Tavan Tolgoi, Nariin Sukhait coking-coal deposit, would be able to provide reliable raw materials for automobile, technology, computer, aircraft, ship, and steel industries of advanced countries in Asia and Europe. Even though Mongolia has large mineral resources, lack of investment in rail, gas and oil pipelines and infrastructure sectors, make difficulties for circulation of Mongolian natural resources or wealth in the world market.
- Mongolia, a country with pristine nature, is capable of suppling ecologically pure meat, milk, agricultural products, wool and cashmere, and can provide the population of Asia and Europe with ecologically pure, healthy food and products. We played an important role in meeting the needs for meat and agricultural products in the USSR from 1970-1980 with exports of 10 million head of livestock per year, but now Mongolia’s livestock has reached 70 million and there are ample opportunities to supply meat, milk, leather and cashmere products to Asian and European countries.
- Transnational corporations have bribed dirty politicians to only seek profit, grossly misrepresenting the national wealth of the people, causing serious damage to the citizens of the country, and increasing the environmental degradation. For instance, the operations of Rio Tinto, a transnational corporation in Mongolia, over the past 10 years have contributed to the spread of corruption and increased debt in the country. Mongolia owes $1.8 billion in debt from the Oyu Tolgoi Agreement due to the misuse of power and corruption in the case of two Mongolian Prime Ministers and one Finance Minister to provide profitable conditions for Rio Tinto, which would cause huge damage to Mongolia. We are working to demand more transparency and correct the damage.
- By active cooperation between the countries of the world, including those living in Asia, in the framework of governmental and non-governmental activities, a new step toward the friendship and cooperation of the countries of the continent can enable the problems such as poverty, unemployment, and supply of ecologically safe food to be solved. Strictly improving the supply of healthy and organic foods, creating conditions to provide healthy food and environments in large cities, and modernizing health and medical services can limit and prevent the spread of epidemics such as the new coronavirus and SARS that frighten humanity.
Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, through our joint efforts and active cooperation, the development of interstate peace and collaboration will contribute to ensuring the prosperous and peaceful life of the people. It will also help prevent regional and inter-religious conflicts, communicable diseases and epidemics.
As people from the countries of Asia and Europe, we are brothers and sisters who live in the same world and one home. We need to actively cooperate, so I urge you to influence the state and actively cooperate.
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