Mongolian President coming on Jan. 1

NEW DELHI, DEC. 26. The Mongolian President, Mr. Natsagiin Bagabandi, will undertake a five-day State visit to India from January one to further consolidate bilateral ties.

The visit, part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two countries, is at the invitation of the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan.

He would hold wide-ranging discussions with the President, Mr. Narayanan, and the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee on regional, international and issues of mutual concern.

Mongolia has steadfastly backed India's position on Jammu and Kashmir, terming it as an integral part of the country. It has also endorsed New Delhi's stand that bilateral talks could be held only on the basis of the Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration.

In a greetings message on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Mongolia on December 24, the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee said the Mongolian President's visit would ``chart out the course for further intensification of our bilateral relations''.

Conveying his warm greetings to the Mongolian President and the people of Mongolia, Mr. Vajpayee said, ``our two countries have close cultural and spiritual links which have bridged the geographical distance between us'' and added ``we hope to strengthen this cooperative relationship further''.

In another message, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, said the President, Mr. Bagabandi, will be ``our first honoured guest in the new millennium''.

- PTI

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