New Delhi: A parliamentary delegation from Mongolia led by Chairman of State Great Khural of Mongolia Gombojav Zandanshatar called on Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday.
Naidu congratulated Zandanshatar and the people of Mongolia on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of their independence as well as the 60th anniversary of accession to the UN.
Naidu said both India and Mongolia share civilisational, historical, spiritual and cultural ties, and that India is fully committed to further deepening its multifaceted strategic partnership with Mongolia.
Speaking on the cooperation between the two countries to contain COVID-19, the vice president said the pandemic remains a global challenge and both countries have been able to support each other in facing this.
He conveyed his best wishes to the government of Mongolia and the India-Mongolia Parliamentary Friendship Group in particular for extending timely and valuable support to India.
Naidu also expressed his happiness that India became the first country to support Mongolia through supply of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.
Speaking on parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, Naidu said the role of regular exchanges and cooperation between the two parliaments is instrumental in steering the bilateral relationship, an official statement said.
He also spoke on bilateral ties and recalled the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mongolia in 2015 and that of the Mongolian president to India in 2019 that brought about a paradigm shift in bilateral relations of the two countries by establishing a strategic partnership.
The vice president also pointed out that Buddhism is a special connect between the two countries and to deepen this shared Buddhist heritage, India’s National Mission for Manuscripts has undertaken printing of Mongolian Kanjur manuscripts.
He was also noted that based on the request of the Gandan Monastery, India is extending assistance for digitisation of Buddhist manuscripts there, the statement said.
Naidu said India is committed to deepening its Buddhist heritage with Mongolia and also providing dedicated scholarships for studies in Buddhism in India.
He expressed India’s interest in continuing its participation in the Khaan Quest multilateral exercise as well as annual joint military exercises.
Leading an 11-member parliamentary delegation at the meeting, Zandanshatar described India as a spiritual neighbour.
He helped Naidu put on a sweater he brought for him from Mongolia. Naidu recalled the historical, spiritual and cultural ties between the two countries and assured full support of India to the development of Mongolia.
The delegation will visit Bodh Gaya.