Mongolian President to Travel to Vietnam on January 19-23

Mongolian President Natsagiin Bagabandi and his wife will pay a visit to Vietnam from January 19 to 23, according to a communiqué released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

Their trip is made at the invitation of President Tran Duc Luong, the ministry said. Their schedule in Hanoi, however, has not yet to be reported.

Vietnam and Mongolia are now striving to bring their bilateral trade value to US$10 million in the future from US$1.7 million in 2003 and US$1.9 million last year.

Vietnam has initially invested in an electronic assembly line in Mongolia but it has yet to work closely with the foreign country's key industries of cattle husbandry, processing, mining and mineral exploitation.

In December 2004, the two countries several memorandum of understandings (MoU) on agriculture, trade, infrastructure, culture, education, science and technology for the 2004-2006 period.

Vietnam and Mongolia established diplomatic ties on November 17, 1954 and celebrated the 50^th birthday of the relationship last year.

• (The People)