Ties strengthen with the UAE and Turkey

Connections between Mongolia and oil-rich Middle Eastern states are more than apparent in Mongolia. One more connection was recently formed when the United Arab Emirates ambassador to Mongolia presented his credentials.

Turkey is also continuing to show interest in Mongolia, particularly in the textiles and food sectors:

ANKARA - Turkish Labor & Social Security Minister Murat Basesgioglu stated regarding his visit to Mongolia, ''we want to prepare an infrastructure aiming to help Turkish workers who will work in Mongolia as well as Turkish entrepreneurs who will invest in this country.''

''We will also rapidly arrange basis of working life and social security for these initiatives,'' he added....

Basesgioglu stated, ''11 Turkish companies have made investment worth of nearly 1.4 million USD in Mongolia. Annual foreign trade volume between Turkey and Mongolia is nearly 3.1 million USD.''

''Foreign trade volume between the two countries is not at desired level. We aim to provide necessary infrastructure to help Turkish entrepreneurs who will invest especially in mining, construction, textile and food sectors in Mongolia,'' he added.

I've always thought that the food sector (especially livestock) is something that a smart investor in Mongolia could captitalize on. Mongolia really ought to develop this market. It could be a potential source of sustainable growth that fits well with something the Mongol nomads have been good at for thousands of years.