Source: NAMBC                    Date: 21 June, 2011

Receiving the "International Statesman Award" from the Asia Society on June 15, to a standing ovation from the 400 guests, President Ts. Elbegdorj said he accepted the award "not for myself but as your recognition of the courageous embrace of democracy and free market reform by the Mongolian people." Delivering the keynote address at the annual dinner of the Society, the President said that strengthening the WTO was an important means of dealing with the world's need for water, food and energy through more liberalized international trade and that FTAs were no substitute for a strong WTO. He noted that small nations prefer the security of multilateral institutions, like the WTO, and praised the WTO's successful record of trade dispute resolution. He called for the start of a new round of WTO negotiations that would especially engage the BRIC nations and encourage them to take their "full and rightful responsibility" for making the WTO and the multilateral trading system work as it should.

At the US Chamber of Commerce luncheon co-sponsored by the NAMBC earlier on the day, President Elbegdorj said in response to a question that he expected the Mongolian Government to make a decision on the Tavan Tolgoi coal field by the Naadam holiday in July. Parliament is scheduled to adjourn in the first week in July.