Vice President Hamid Ansari arrives in Mongolia to attend ASEM Summit

During the visit, Li will hold talks with Mongolia’s new Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat and meet Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and Chairman Miyegombo Enkhbold of the State Great Hural, Mongolia’s parliament.

Indonesia will push for efforts to boost inter-continental connectivity at the upcoming 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM) in Mongolia, an official has said.

“The President wishes to stay close to his countrymen in the first few months of his presidency”, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said about Duterte’s decision to skip the ASEM summit.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has arrived in Ulanbator, the capital of Mongolia, for an official visit.

The two-day ASEM Summit will be held here from tomorrow. Mongolia is hosting nine side events leading up to the main show, including the 8th Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) Editors Roundtable, the ASEM Consultative Meeting on Food Security, and the 15th Asia-Europe Business Forum. The summit is held biennially, with the last one held in Italy in 2014.

ASEM is an informal dialogue process involving 51 countries from Asia and Europe and two organizations-ASEAN Secretariat and the European Union.

It represents around 62.3 per cent of the world’s population, 57.2 per cent of the global GDP and nearly 60 per cent of the world’s trade.

The Ulaanbaatar declaration would contain a number of points on the strengthening of cooperation between the two regions, as well as plans on the formation of an ASEM center for coordination purposes, Arrmanatha said.

On Sunday, the two leaders will hold a summit to upgrade their partnership by deepening economic ties and cooperation in pressuring Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missile programs.

“Park’s visit this time will be a crucial opportunity to upgrade the bilateral relationship to a new level”.

Bilateral trade is still modest, and stood at $64 million past year.