First Round Table

As Dr. Jens Kreuter, Managing Director of Engagement Global gGmbH emphasised in his welcome address, cooperation with Mongolia is still a ‘seedling’. This makes networking and mutual support all the more important. Mongolia's ambassador, H.E. Tsolmon Bolor, had come to the Round Table to promote this. Supported by further embassy representatives, he provided a vivid overview of the situation in this Central East Asian country. Mongolia has close relations with Germany, and borrows a good deal from its political system. There is also considerable bilateral development cooperation. After Namibia, Mongolia is one of Germany's most important partner countries, as Dr. Tobias Schrader of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development clearly illustrated in his presentation.

Participants first of all identified the key cornerstones of the existing partnerships that would serve as the basis for further exchange and mutual support. The City of Essen for example - where there are plans to establish an association in the near future - is working chiefly in the field of hospital hygiene. By contrast, in Baruth/Mark cooperation will focus on water and forest management, which are the distinctive aspects of economic life in this small town in Brandenburg. Baruth has already been promised financial support by the Service Agency - which will be delivered through the NAKOPA programme. Dr. Britta Milimo of the Service Agency outlined the broad range of options that the Service Agency offers. The overview provided by Vera Dittgen of the One World Network, North Rhine-Westphalia, completed the picture by providing important pointers on tapping other sources of funding. She spoke about appropriate ways of approaching representatives of the private sector with regard to sponsoring.

By the end of the event it was beyond doubt that there would be more Round Tables on Mongolia. It is highly probable that many of the actors present will see each other before the meeting next autumn, because many of them struck up contacts with the prospect of support - including bilateral support.