AKIPRESS.COM - Due to climate change, Mongolia is exposed to multiple environmental challenges, namely desertification, drought, land degradation, wildfires and other calamities, its Foreign Minister said today at the United Nations General Assembly, UN News Centre reported.

“Thus, preserving ecosystem balance, protecting natural resources, ensuring their appropriate use and rehabilitation, as well as promoting green economic growth are the main goals of the Government Action Plan for 2016-2020,” said Minister for Foreign Affairs Tsend Munkh-Orgil during the high-level annual debate.

For its part, Mongolia will work to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 14 per cent by 2030, he said.

Mongolia’s national agenda for sustainable development envisages the country becoming an upper middle income country by 2030 with poverty eradicated in all its forms while preserving ecological balance and strengthening its democratic governance.

Enhancing connectivity is an urgent priority for all landlocked developing economies, he said, noting that, according to the World Trade Organization, trade costs of these countries amount to applying an ad valorem tariff of 260 per cent to international trade.

To further improve market access to main trading partners, Mongolia is studying the feasibility of free trade agreements with the Eurasian Economic Union, China, and the Republic of Korea. An economic partnership agreement is already in place with Japan, he added.