Ulaanbaatar city, December 12, 2022 – Commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Mongolia-United States diplomatic relations, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, the Ministry of Economy and Development, the Bank of Mongolia, the Embassy of the United States in Mongolia, the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), and the American Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia (AmCham) co-organized the international conference on "Mongolian-American Cooperation in 35 Years" on December 12, 2022. High-level dignitaries including Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Mongolia Richard Buangan, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs N. Ankhbayar, President of the Bank of Mongolia B. Lhagvasuren, President of the MNCCI O. Amartuvshin, the Chairman of AmCham Mongolia Gary Biondo and other guests attended the conference.
"The United States sees in Mongolia a kindred spirit in the global community of democracies. We are proud to stand with you as you forge a future that delivers on the hopes and aspirations of your people," emphasized Ambassador Richard Buangan in his opening speech.
“As you know, another prominent area of cooperation has been with the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). We are currently in a second compact – a $462 million project – to improve Ulaanbaatar’s water system. This project will bring new jobs to Mongolia and increase the capital city’s water supply by 80%, supporting economic growth and clean water for generations to come.”
MCA-Mongolia Interim CEO D. Enkhjargal presented the Bulk Water Supply Project being implemented under the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact and provided detailed information on the program implementation.
"MCC-Mongolia Water Compact is a climate-smart investment made possible by MCC grant funding and the contribution from the Government of Mongolia as it is aimed at ensuring a safe and sustainable supply of water to households and businesses in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, one of the world's most water-scarce and vulnerable cities to climate change impacts, and creating a more climate resilient UB" she highlighted.
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This $462 million project is a partnership between the American and Mongolian people made possible by $350m in MCC grant funding and the $111.76m contribution from the Government of Mongolia which demonstrates their commitment to working together to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Water Compact is funding major infrastructure projects, including the construction of new wellfields and two large plants - an Advanced Water Purification Plant and Water Recycling Plant which will be the first of their kind in Mongolia. In addition, the Compact will invest in policy measures to create a financially and environmentally sustainable future for the water sector of Ulaanbaatar. As a result, the water system in Ulaanbaatar will have been expanded to deliver 80% more drinking water, allowing for the city’s future expansion.