On Tuesday, December 9, NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin held a luncheon meeting with a delegation of eight members of Mongolian local assemblies, including the Chairperson of the Bulgan Aimag Assembly and the Chairperson of the Umnugovi Aimag council. The delegation was visiting Korea to attend the 2025 NEAR International Forum held in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
Secretary-General Lim expressed his sincere appreciation to the Mongolian local assembly delegation for attending the forum despite their busy schedules, and emphasized that the NEAR Secretariat places great importance on cooperation with Mongolian member governments. He noted that all 22 local governments in Mongolia, including Ulaanbaatar City, are members of NEAR and are among the most active participants in NEAR activities, making significant contributions to the organization's development. He also highlighted the cooperative relationships between the NEAR Secretariat and member governments such as Umnugovi Aimag and Bulgan Aimag, both of which participated in the forum.
He further expressed his gratitude, noting that the active participation of Mongolian member governments has been made possible by the positive evaluation and strong support of NEAR activities by Mongolian local councils. He requested their continued interest and support to ensure that Mongolian member governments remain actively engaged in NEAR activities in the future.
Erdenurnukh, Chairperson of the Umnugovi Aimag Assembly, highly appreciated the role and significance of NEAR and noted that Umnugovi Aimag has actively participated in NEAR activities and is willing to cooperate with NEAR member governments in the fields of smart farming and renewable energy.
Chengdaiyosh, a member of the Khuvsgul Aimag Assembly, highlighted the tourism potential of Khuvsgul Aimag and stated that hosting a NEAR Tourism Subcommittee event in Khuvsgul — one of Mongolia’s representative tourist destinations, would be highly meaningful. He also suggested that a personal visit by the Secretary-General to assess the suitability of the location and provide guidance would be very helpful.
Tserenbatar, a member of the Tuv Aimag Assembly, emphasized the need for international cooperation in the healthcare and medical sector, drawing on his professional background as a medical doctor. He noted in particular that cooperation in the form of donations or support of medical equipment from medically advanced countries such as Korea to basic local governments in Tuv Aimag would greatly contribute to the development of regional healthcare services, and expressed his expectation for expanded cooperation in this field.
The luncheon meeting was attended by Ganbold, Chairperson of the Bulgan Aimag Assembly; Erdenurnukh, Chairperson of the Umnugovi Aimag Assembly; Kang Ho-ik, member of the Dornod Aimag Assembly; Munkhjol, member of the Sukhbaatar Aimag Assembly; Tserenbatar, member of the Tuv Aimag Assembly; Chengdaiyosh, member of the Khuvsgul Aimag Assembly; Bayartsetseg, Director of the Policy Planning and Legal Affairs Division of the Secretariat of the Selenge Aimag Assembly; and Enkhchimeg, Senior Officer of the Secretariat of the Ulaanbaatar City Council, totaling eight participants.