Governor of the capital city and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar D.Sumiyabazar is working on an official appointment in the Republic of Korea. In this context, he met with Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Kim Hyeon-gi, and the Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Mayor D.Sumiyabazar explained about cooperation between the two cities and future possibilities.

-In 1995, Ulaanbaatar established sister-city relations with Seoul, South Korea. What is the current level of cooperation between the two cities?

-After the social changes and reforms of the 1990s, we started to pursue the third neighbor policy. In this context, Seoul is one of the first cities that established sister-city relations with Ulaanbaatar. Since then, cooperation between the two cities has expanded in many sectors. For example, the two cities work together in the fields of education, economy, culture, tourism, and trade. It is expected that the range of cooperation will expand as a result of this meeting and negotiations.

-What are the possibilities for cooperation in the future?

-Seoul is a leading city in the region. Therefore, the two cities can work together to increase investment and trade, fight against climate change, and solve urban problems. Special attention will be paid to localize and study the experience of smart and rational solutions and decisions implemented by Seoul in the direction of reducing air and environmental pollution, increasing green areas, reducing traffic congestion, and increasing access to public transportation. The content of the meeting with the Mayor of Seoul and the Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council was also aimed at this.

-Meetings with the Mayor of Seoul and the Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council were held. How do you see the results of these meetings?

-The trade and economic circle of the two cities is at an incredibly high level. However, I saw that the foundation is being laid for many opportunities to work together on a broader range and policy level. As mentioned above, certain works to solve the problems of the city were discussed in stages. Of course, we exchanged views on protecting the rights of Mongolian citizens living and working in South Korea, especially in Seoul, and how Ulaanbaatar can participate in this. These meetings will perform an important role in bringing the partnership between Ulaanbaatar and Seoul to a new level and strengthening effective and mutually beneficial cooperation. In addition, after increasing the investment, we are focusing on creating a foundation for progress in the next works.

Ulaanbaatar and Seoul have common problems. For example, there are issues related to labor shortage, climate change, and population concentration. So, there is an opportunity to exchange experiences and work together to solve those problems.

MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF THE CAPITAL CITY