President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) on Feb. 15 shakes hands with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene at the presidential office in Seoul. (Office of the President) 

By Xu Aiying

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Feb. 15 hosted talks at the presidential office in Seoul with visiting Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene on developing bilateral relations. 

"We highly appreciate the continuous development of Korea-Mongolia relations in a range of fields since the formation of diplomatic ties in 1990," the president was quoted as saying by his spokesperson Lee Do Woon in a news release. "We look forward to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, rare metals and minerals, infrastructure, response to climate change, and human and cultural exchanges."  

Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene said he agreed, adding, "Mongolia considers Korea a major country in the region and a top priority partner to develop friendly and cooperative relations." He also pledged additional efforts to develop bilateral ties. 

Conveying special regards from Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, the prime minister said, "Korea is very popular among Mongolians and bilateral human exchange is active, so we hope to further expand such exchange and cooperation through mutual visits by our countries' leaders at convenient times."

He also delivered a handwritten letter from President Khurelsukh supporting Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo and wished for a successful event. 

Expressing gratitude, President Yoon said, "If Busan hosts the 2030 World Expo, both countries can closely cooperate in various sectors such as economy, tourism and culture as well as human exchange," adding, "Let's make more mutual efforts to expand communication and cooperation in various sectors between Korea and Mongolia."

xuaiy@korea.kr