AKIPRESS.COM - JICA President Tanaka Akihiko visited Mongolia from October 31 to November 2.

While there, President Tanaka attended the commemorative ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of the JICA Mongolia Office and the 30th anniversary of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) program. He also met with President of Mongolia Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, as well as other government officials, made a site visit to the JOCV program, and delivered a special lecture on the JICA Chair (JICA Program for Japanese Studies) at the National University of Mongolia.

The ceremony was held on November 1 in Ulaanbaatar with the participation of Minister for Finance Bold Javkhlan, Minister for Education and Science Luvsantseren Enkh-Amgalan, Minister of Environment and Tourism U. Bat-Erdene, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Mongolia Kobayashi Hiroyuki, and approximately 200 other representatives from Mongolia and Japan. In his remarks at the ceremony, President Tanaka reiterated that JICA will continue to place an emphasis on forming trust-based ties with the Mongolian people and to work together for the development of Mongolia, with a focus on the post-COVID-19 era.

During the meeting, President Khurelsukh expressed his gratitude for JICA's cooperation over the years. In response, President Tanaka introduced JICA's active cooperation in promoting the three presidential initiatives of food security, healthy Mongolian people, and the national campaign to plant one billion trees. What is more, in light of the new revitalization policy announced by the Mongolian government last December, the pair also exchanged views on future cooperation in new areas such as the digital industry and tourism development.

President Tanaka also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Batmunkh Battsetseg, Minister for Finance Javkhlan, and Minister for Education and Science Enkh-Amgalan, with whom he also exchanged views on JICA's future cooperation.

In Ulaanbaatar, President Tanaka visited the 48th School, which was once built using Japanese grant aid and is now being operated by JOCV members, and observed activities at the school. The deployment of JOCV in Mongolia resumed in June of this year, and President Tanaka once again confirmed that the JICA Volunteer Program is contributing to the improvement of the lives of Mongolian people and the solving of social issues in the post-COVID-19 era.

At the JICA Chair special lecture at the National University of Mongolia, President Tanaka talked on the topic of "Japan after the Cold War" to approximately 130 students, both those currently studying Japanese and former international students. During the Q&A session following the lecture, the participants asked many questions.
JICA is dedicated to its ongoing efforts to resolve issues in Mongolia.