Asia-Pacific

Mongolian PM pledges to support UN resolution on DPRK

(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-23 15:01

BEIJING - Mongolian Prime Minister Mieagombo Enkhbold pledged support Thursday for UN sanctions on North Korea and expressed confidence his government would see out its term despite calls at home for elections.

Enkhbold was visiting China on a six-day trip aimed at boosting investment and trade between the neighbors. It is his first trip to China since he took office in January.

"Mongolia has always supported a nuclear weapon-free zone," Enkhbold said at a news conference. "With regard to the implementation of the UN resolution on the North Korea nuclear issue, the Mongolian government is willing to implement that resolution."

He did not give details on how Mongolia would support the sanctions, which were imposed against Pyongyang after it conducted a nuclear test on October 9, adding that the issue "should be solved through political dialogue and cooperation."

Enkhbold, who met Wednesday with Premier Wen Jiabao and Chinese business officials, also offered support for six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program. The talks have been suspended since 2005 because of the North's anger over financial sanctions imposed by the United States but may be revived before the end of the year.

Enkhbold's Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, which led Mongolia under communism but now espouses multiparty democracy, formed a government in January after pulling out of the previous ruling coalition.

Last month, Enkhbold survived a no-confidence vote in parliament amid complaints of corruption and misconduct by officials in his government.

Critics have accused him of misconduct in land sales during his former term as mayor of Ulan Bator, Mongolia's capital. Others accuse his ministers of incompetence and said they had failed to do enough to ease poverty in the country, which has suffered a sharp economic decline.

In recent weeks, critics of the government have called for early elections for the president and the parliament.

Enkhbold said the government was considering the matter but he "firmly believed that the coming presidential elections as well as parliamentary elections will take place as they are supposed to."

Beijing is a leading investor in impoverished Mongolia, China and Mongolia hit US$1.13 billion in the first nine months of 2006, up 88.8 per cent over the same period last year, state media has reported.

Private sector investment by China in Mongolia hit US$500 million in 2005, Enkhbold said.

"I believe that the existing friendly relations and economic partnerships between Mongolia and China will bring further development and prosperity to Mongolia," Enkhbold said.

Enkhbold was scheduled Thursday to meet top legislator Wu Bangguo and Jia Qinglin, a member of the Communist Party's nine-member Politburo Standing Committee.

Enkhbold was to travel to the former imperial capital Xi'an and the western Xinjiang region, where he said he would "explore new opportunities for further expansion of border area exchanges."