Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg on Sunday agreed to promote continued cooperation in the scientific, educational and IT sectors by developing mechanisms for capacity building, collaborative research, technical cooperation, exchange of information and experience sharing.
The two leaders acknowledged that the richness of the relationship between Mongolia and India is a result of the long-standing people to people contacts, and shared their views to further promote greater awareness and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries through enhancing education and cultural cooperation, better utilization of current scholarships under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship program with a viewpoint of increasing the number of student scholarships in the future.
The two Prime Ministers agreed to offer up to five scholarships each year to the students upon the request of the other party for learning Mongolian and Hindi languages, Mongolian and Indian culture in their academic institutions.
The duo also noted with satisfaction the decision to set up Mongolia-India Joint School in Ulaanbaatar.
They also welcomed the selection of a Project Management Consultant for the utilization of USD 20 million line of credit to expand the 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre for Excellence in Information Technology and Communication' in Ulaanbaatar to include an Outsourcing Centre.
The expanded Centre will be renamed as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre for Excellence in Information Technology and Communication andOutsourcing.
Both leaders agreed to look into a possibility to ease travel between the two countries by exploring direct air links between Mongolia and India to facilitate greater people to people interactions as well as ways to simplify the existing visa conditions.
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The Mongolian side conveyed its appreciation for India's decision to extend e-Tourist Visa (eTV) facility to its nationals.
In order to highlight each other's cultural and spiritual heritage, both Prime Ministers agreed to encourage exchanges of films, electronic and print media, performing and fine arts, museums and other related areas of cultural expression and to support mutual establishing of cultural centers.
Prime Minister Modi and his Mongolian counterpart noted the shared ancient cultural, spiritual and civilizational ties and enduring goodwill between their people.
The Mongolian side appreciated India's gesture to present a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree.
India agreed to positively consider the request of Mongolia for providing Buddha statue to the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery, as a symbol of an enduring tradition of spiritual bonding between the people of the two countries.
To rediscover the shared cultural heritage, both Prime Ministers agreed to initiate a joint translation project of "Holy Tripitaka" into Mongolian language.