Ulaanbaatar, Sep 24 (IANS) P Kumaran, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), visited the oil refinery project at Altanshiree, Dornogovi Province in Mongolia, which is being constructed with a US$1.7 billion soft Line of Credit (LoC) from the Indian government.
According to the Indian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, during the visit, he was accompanied by the Indian Ambassador to Mongolia, Atul Malhari Gotsurve.
Kumaran also chaired a review meeting on the project’s progress and interacted with the Indian workforce at the site, appreciating their dedication and hard work.
Altansetseg, Executive Director of Mongol Refinery, Senior management of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd, and Engineers India, attended the meeting. Additionally, a tree plantation ceremony was also organised during the visit.
Later in the day, Kumaran also met with A Byambajargal, Secretary, National Security Council of Mongolia and discussed various issues of mutual cooperation. Ambassador Gotsurve and senior diplomats from India and Mongolia participated in the meeting.
Last month, Ambassador Gotsurve accompanied Damdinnyam Gongor, Mongolian Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, on a visit to the project site to review the progress of the Refinery.
The Mongolian Minister expressed gratitude to the Government of India for the support in the form of a soft loan of US$1.7 billion for the project. He appreciated the progress of the project and assured all support for the early completion of the strategic project.
He also met with the Indian workforce – currently standing at 2700 people from Engineers India Limited and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd – conveying his appreciation for their hard work, the Indian Embassy mentioned.
The ED of Mongol Refinery presented a report on the project. Furthermore, the Indian Ambassador highlighted that the project is a shining example of India-Mongolia Friendship.
In May, a high-level Indian government delegation led by Anurag Agarwal, Special Secretary and Financial Advisor of the Ministry of External Affairs and other senior officers from the MEA, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Chairman and Managing Director of the Engineers India Limited and Managing Director of the Export-Import Bank of India, visited Mongolia to review the progress of the construction of the oil refinery project at the Dornogovi Province.
The project is the Indian government’s single-largest soft Line of Credit project globally. The visit of the Indian delegation underscored the high level of importance New Delhi places on the successful completion of the oil refinery project.
–IANS
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