Mongolian
On January 17, Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai met with Laurent Saint-Martin, France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, and Nicolas Maes, CEO of Orano Group.
At the meeting, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene highlighted France as Mongolia’s “third neighbor,” a reliable European partner, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and a founding member of the European Union. He emphasized that fostering mutually beneficial cooperation with France is a key goal of Mongolia’s foreign policy.
“This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. Today, as we sign the agreement on the long-stalled uranium project, we mark a historic day in Mongolian-French relations,” he said.
Laurent Saint-Martin noted that the uranium project and investment agreement represent a significant milestone, not only for Mongolia and France but also for Mongolia-EU cooperation. He expressed gratitude to the Mongolian government for introducing French uranium mining technologies and expertise, opening a new chapter in Mongolia’s mining industry.
The investment agreement with Orano Mining is Mongolia’s second major agreement with a “third neighbor” and is poised to become a benchmark in the mining and minerals sector.
The parties acknowledged that the state visits of French President Emmanuel Macron to Mongolia and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa to France in 2023 have strengthened bilateral relations and paved the way for tangible outcomes in joint projects.
Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene reaffirmed Mongolia’s commitment to advancing cooperation with France, including the development of the Mongolian National Satellite Network. He also emphasized the government’s interest in collaborating with France on transport and urban development projects to address Ulaanbaatar’s congestion issues.
