On Wednesday, March 14 in Tokyo, Mr. Yukio Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI Minister) met with Mr. Sukhbaatar Batbold, Prime Minister of Mongolia, who is visiting Japan.

1. Recognizing that the Mongolian and the Japanese Prime Ministers had agreed to initiate negotiations for establishing the Japan-Mongolia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) during their preceding meeting, METI Minister Edano and Prime Minister Batbold agreed that they expect the conclusion of the bilateral EPA to lead to the improvement of the investment environment associated with energy and mineral resources and the further increasing of trade and investment between the two countries and thereby strengthen their economic relationship.
2. Minister Edano also expressed his delight over the fact that a memorandum of cooperation in the space field was signed and exchanged between METI and Mongolia's Information, Communications Technology and Post Authority on the occasion of Prime Minister Batbold's visit to Japan.
3. The two ministers also exchanged views on energy, mineral resources and bilateral business issues.

Prime Minister Batbold and Minister Edano

Exchange of the memorandum of cooperation in the space field

1. Schedule of Prime Minister Batbold's visit to Japan

In Japan from Saturday, March 10, to Thursday, March 15.

2. Outline of the memorandum of cooperation between METI and Mongolia's Information, Communications Technology and Post Authority

The two parties agreed to cooperate in space-related fields, including the use of satellite systems over Mongolia and the exchange of related information. The two governments will jointly conduct cooperation projects, namely, technical studies on communications satellite systems and earth observatory satellites, including ground stations, and technological cooperation on their use.

March 14, 2012

• Northeast Asia Division, Trade Policy Bureau
• Economic Partnership Division, Trade Policy Bureau
• Space Industry Office, Manufacturing Industries Bureau
• Coal Division, Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy
• Mineral and Natural Resources Division, Natural Resources and Fuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy