Annual Report 2011 - 2012

proposals for cooperation between the two countries were
outlined, which included cooperation in the fields of mining,
agriculture, culture and education. Supporting the
cooperation in the field of mineral resources and mining,
the two sides agreed on exploring the possibilities of
implementing joint projects, including setting up of a steel
mill in Mongolia and training Mongolian specialists working
in the field of mining and geology.
India continued to provide all possible developmental
assistance to Mongolia. An agreement on a Line of Credit of
US $20 million to Mongolia for the 'India-Mongolia Joint
Information Technology Education and Outsourcing
Centre' was finalised and was signed in February 2012. In an
effort to upgrade and modernise the Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Centre for Excellence in Information and Communication
Technology in Ulaanbaatar, new PCs and projectors were
procured and supplied to the Centre and work on replacing
the existing networking equipment with the latest technology
equipment is planned to be completed by third week of
March 2012. There was ongoing progress to complete the
preliminary process for the upgradation and modernisation
of the Rajiv Gandhi Art and Production School and the
work on the site should start in 2012-13.
There was steady progress, in the field of defence cooperation
involving India and Mongolia. The Fourth Meeting of the
India-Mongolia Joint Working Group was held in New Delhi
in May 2011. A new Defence Cooperation Agreement was
signed in July 2011. India's Chief of Army Staff participated
in the 100th Anniversary of the Ministry of Defence of
Mongolia in September 2011. A joint India-Mongolia military
Exercise 'Nomadic Elephant', which is a regular annual feature,
was held, in Mongolia in September 2011. India participated
in Exercise Khan Quest-2011 that was co-sponsored by
Mongolia and the US in Mongolia in July-August 2011.
Both the countries committed themselves to strengthen bilateral
civil nuclear cooperation under the MoU on Cooperation in
the Field of Peaceful Use of Radioactive Minerals and Nuclear
Energy signed in September 2009. To move forward in the
matter, the Department of Atomic Energy of India and the
Nuclear Energy Agency of Mongolia held their first Working
Group meeting, in Mongolia in December 2011.
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East Asia
The Head of Office of the President of Mongolia, Mr D
Battulga, visited India, in November 2011, mainly to interact
with the Secretary to the President of India and for an
introduction to the structure and functions of the Office of
the President of India. In December 2011, the Chairman of
the Mongolian Civil Service Council, Mr Zumberellkham
Dorjdamba, paid a visit to India to hold talks with the
Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission in an
effort to institutionalise cooperation between the two
establishments. In November 2011, a three-member
delegation from the National Development and Innovation
Committee of Mongolia visited India to interact with the
Planning Commission of India to exchange expertise under
the MoU signed during the visit of the President of India.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
India's relations with the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) continued to be cordial, with the primary
focus on humanitarian and human resource development
assistance. Exchanges in the area of culture, sports, and
education continued to make progress during the year. India
and the DPRK have continued cooperation at UN bodies
and other international organisations.
India provided food assistance to the tune of US$ 1 million
through the World Food Programme to DPRK in June 2011.
The two sides maintained bilateral exchanges with the Seventh
Round of Foreign Office Consultations held in Pyongyang,
from 12-14 September, 2011, at the level of Secretary (East).
Discussions covered bilateral matters and regional and
international issues of mutual interest. The delegation also visited
Pyongyang Food Processing Factory for Children as also the
Hwanghju county in Northern Hwanghae Province to
understand the food situation prevailing in the country and
how the distribution of Indian food assistance was taking place.
India's support for development of human resources in DPRK
continued with 18 slots allotted under the Indian Technical
and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Training Programme for
the year 2011-12. Two slots were also offered to DPRK
Diplomats for Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats
(PCFD) course, organised by the Foreign Service Institute.