Mongolia set to tap NKorea ports
(BEIJING) Mongolia sees the ports of North Korea as gateways through which it can ship its mineral resources, taking advantage of ‘very good relations’ between the two countries, Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold said.
‘We could have further cooperation in the access to the sea and sea ports,’ he said in an interview on Friday. ‘We will keep the channel warm with North Korea.’
Landlocked Mongolia needs to secure access to the sea as it pursues mining projects, Mr Batbold said.
Aside from its main exports of coal and copper, the country also has oil, potash, iron ore and uranium resources, as well as rare earths used in electronics, wind turbines and smart bombs.
‘Basically, we are trying to engage North Korea, keep them engaged with other countries. We don’t want them to be isolated,’ Mr Batbold said at the end of his visit to China. ‘We would like peace, stability and security in our region.’
North Korea was put under tougher United Nations sanctions banning arms trade and restricting financial transactions following its second nuclear test in May 2009. — Bloomberg