India inks defence cooperation pact with Mongolia

• Giving a fillip to its ties with Mongolia, India on Thursday signed a defence cooperation agreement with the northeast Asian country and announced that it would extend a $20 million Line of Credit for a joint IT, education and outsourcing centre to be set up here.
• India and Mongolia also inked two pacts on media exchanges and cooperation between their planning commissions in the presence of President Pratibha Patil, who is here on a three-day visit.
• New Delhi will extend a Line of Credit of $20 million for the 'India-Mongolia Joint Information Technology, Education and Outsourcing Centre' to be established here.
• The two countries also discussed ways to further cooperation in the peaceful use of radioactive minerals and nuclear energy.
• Mongolia is celebrating the "Year of Anniversaries", including the 805th anniversary of the establishment of the Great Mongolian State under the leadership of Genghis Khan and 90th anniversary of the Mongolian Independence and Sovereignty.
• Ms. Patil stressed on reviving Mongolia's contacts with Nalanda University, which is being rejuvenated as a regional seat of learning and excellence, in particular of Buddhist studies.
• Mongolia is spread in an area of 1.565 million square km and has a population of about 2.7 million. About 92 per cent of its population follows Buddhism and the country shares its border with China and Russia.
• India and Mongolia are good trading partners. India exports pharma products, veterinary medicines, automobiles and their parts to this country and the bilateral trade has touched $16.9 million.
• India has also decided to increase the number of slots available to Mongolia under the Indian Technical Education Cooperation (ITEC) Programme to 150.
• "The number of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships available to Mongolia will be increased to 50. India will assist in human resource development and capacity building efforts of Mongolia," Ms. Patil said.
• Extending her support to Mongolia "in any way," she thanked the country for backing India's bid for the permanent membership of an expanded United Nations Security Council.