Vietnam and Mongolia are striving to raise two-way trade from 5.7 million USD in 2007 to 10 million USD by 2010.

This target was set at the 13 th session of the Vietnam-Mongolia inter-governmental committee on economic, scientific and technological cooperation in Ho Chi Minh City in December 2008.

Vietnam and Mongolia first established diplomatic ties on November 17, 1954, marking an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries. President Ho Chi Minh officially visited Mongolia in July 1955 and the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Council of Ministers, Mr Tsedenbal, laid the foundations for bilateral ties on his first visit to Vietnam in September 1959.

Over the past 55 years, Vietnam and Mongolia have worked together closely and supported each other on the road to national construction and development. Between 1956 and 1990, Mongolia provided Vietnam with aid of over 200 million Tugrik (around 200,000 USD) and 1.5 million USD worth of gifts. The country also trained more than 100 Vietnamese agricultural specialists, especially in animal husbandry and veterinary science.

In response, Vietnam sent experts to help Mongolia develop its traffic systems and cultivation techniques, upgrade residential housing and restore historical sites. The country has also provided food and finance to Mongolia to deal with natural disasters and has educated many Mongolian students.

At present, around 50 Mongolian students are studying in several universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .

Vietnam also donated computers and printers to a school named after former Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh in Ulaanbaatar and funded a statue of Uncle Ho at the school.

In recent years, both countries have regularly exchanged visits of top level officials. Among those to visit Vietnam were Mongolian Prime Minister N. Enkhbayar in October 2002, Parliamentary Chairman S. Tumur-Ochir in January 2004 and President N. Bagabandi in January 2005.

Former Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An visited Mongolia in January 2003, former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in May 2004 and State President Nguyen Minh Triet in October 2008.

During the process of national construction and development as well as regional and international integration, Vietnam and Mongolia have continued to support each other and strengthen ties in all respects for the benefit of both countries’ peoples and for peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large./.