Mongolia intends to become ASEAN's dialogue partner, EAS member

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) - Visiting deputy foreign minister of Mongolia Damba Gankhuyag said Friday that Mongolia has a purpose to become an ASEAN's dialogue partner and a member of the East Asian Summit (EAS).

Damba Gankhuyag unveiled the plan during a meeting with Cambodian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Hor Namhong, according to Koy Kuong, a spokesman for the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hor Namhong said Cambodia welcomed Mongolia's intention to seek cooperation with ASEAN and EAS and recommended the country to submit documents to Myanmar, the current chair of ASEAN.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) group Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Currently, the bloc has established dialogue partnerships with ten parties: Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.

For EAS, it is a forum held annually by leaders of 18 countries in the East Asian region.

Earlier in the day, Damba Gankhuyag signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of bilateral consultations with his Cambodian counterpart Long Visalo, aiming to promote bilateral, regional, and international cooperation between the two countries.