Mongolia is interested in trading agricultural and forestry products with Laos, according to Mongolian Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Mr T. Badamjunia.
Mr Badamjunia is leading a delegation of Mongolian officials on a visit to Laos from March 14-20.
Under the proposed cooperation, Laos would export rice and sugar to Mongolia, as well as investing in wood processing and livestock breeding exchanges.
Mongolia currently imports about 25,000 tonnes of sugar and 30,000 tonnes of rice a year, primarily from Vietnam and China, Mr Badamjunia said during a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Monday to meet with Lao business people.
He said the cooperation would boost relations between the two countries into the future.
The two nations are relatively nearby, which would facilitate trade and technical assistance exchange.
Mongolia has a land mass eight times larger than that of Laos, but with a third of the population, said Mr Badamjunia.
The Mongolian government would provide assistance to any Lao businesses that invest in sheep breeding programmes in Mongolia, as long as they involve more than 500 head of sheep, he said.
Laos contains more than 800,000 hectares of rice fields and last year produced about three million tonnes of rice, which is set to rise to 3.3 million tonnes this year, said President of the Lao-Agro Processing Association, Mr Phouvong Korasack.
Laos has sufficient rice for domestic consumption and also exports the crop to Vietnam and Thailand, but exact figures on export amounts are not available.
Last year Laos exported 10,000 tonnes of sugar to Europe, said Mr Phouvong.
The Lao government plans to increase production of rice and sugar to ensure domestic supply is met and that exports can be increased.
The Mongolian delegation also met with Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh this week. During their visit they will undertake study tours of livestock breeding and rice and cash crop research centres in Vientiane, as well as visiting agriculture production areas in the south of the country.
