Source: BCLocalNews.com                  Date: 20 October, 2010

Mongolia plans to build 96 regional government centers from British Columbia lumber and Canadian wood technology, the Forests and Range Minister of the province, Mr. Pat Bell has said. "The government of Mongolia has recognized that B.C. wood products and wood-frame construction are ideally suited to government and institutional buildings and for housing."

Over the past few years B.C. has helped Mongolia adopt its building code for wood-frame construction, train officials and inspectors, and set up a Mongolian wood-frame construction sector.

"Wood-frame construction is energy-efficient, climate-friendly, and well suited to our needs in Mongolia," Prime Minister S. Batbold said during his visit to Canada. "With the support of British Columbia, our government has adopted Canada's wood-frame building code and will be using Canadian wood technology and wood products from British Columbia in new public buildings around Mongolia."

Mr. Bell’s and Mr. Batbold’s comments came after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Mongolia and B.C., through which B.C. will provide technical expertise to assist in the design and supervision of the project. Under the MoU, Mongolia agrees to buy all structural lumber for the centers from B.C. suppliers.