TANAKA Akihiko

Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg, right, and JICA Senior Vice-President Hideaki Domichi

On Feb. 10, JICA Senior Vice-President Hideaki Domichi held talks in Tokyo with Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg. Saikhanbileg, who took office in November 2014, visiting Japan in his first foreign visit since his inauguration, signed an economic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Sinzo Abe and otherwise deepened the economic relationship between the two countries.

At the beginning of the talks, Saikhanbileg expressed appreciation for JICA's assistance, which has continued since just after Mongolia's economic liberalization and democratization, and said he wants to add a new page to the countries' bilateral relations.

In response, Domichi said the relationship between Mongolia and Japan is supported by friendly feelings between the people of the two nations as symbolized by the contribution sent to Japan from Mongolia at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Also, he said that in recent years, Japan's private sector has taken an increasing interest in Mongolia, and that JICA is carrying out assistance to improve the business environment in Mongolia as well as supporting Japanese companies' expansion into Mongolia.

Then the two discussed significant areas of JICA’s cooperation in Mongolia. They also exchanged their views on the future expectations for and direction of JICA’s projects including construction of a new international airport in the suburbs of Ulan Bator and a two-step loan*, and also efforts on educational assistance and other areas.

Despite being geographically remote from Japan, Mongolia is such a pro-Japanese country as Japan is known as its "third neighboring country." JICA will continue to support the sustainable development of the Mongolian economy and society.

*A development finance loan that is one type of Japanese ODA loan. It furnishes funds necessary for implementing certain political measures through a financial institution of the partner country such as a development bank, under the political and financial systems of the debtor country. By the time the funds reach the final beneficiary, they have gone through two or more financial institutions, so it is known as a two-step loan.