Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj appealed to the government of Russia to resolve the problem with petroleum products supplies.
“There have been failures in delivery in recent months, we have serious problems: now sowing has been delayed, production has become suspended and public transportion in cities has almost stopped,” Elbegdorj said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Elbegdorj reported that the Mongolian energy minister will arrive in Moscow to hold talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.
“Probably once they meet, the issue will be solved,” Elbegdorj said.
According to Putin, the trade turnover between the two countries grew by 50% in the first quarter of 2011. “Of course we need to retain this growth,” Putin said.
Faced by fuel shortages of its own, Russia, the world’s largest oil producer, raised the fuel export tax by 44% this month. Putin has criticized Russia’s oil groups, saying there was no lack of oil but that companies had restricted supplies to keep prices high.
In 2003 and in 2010, Russia wrote off a vast part of Mongolia’s debts.
Several dozen Russian companies work in Mongolia. The two countries boasted more than $1 billion in trade in 2010.
Extraction of minerals and metallurgy are important cooperation areas.
MOSCOW, May 31 (RIA Novosti)