ULAANBAATAR: On October 26, Mongolia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Tsend Sandag-Ochir, and State Secretary Shurenchuluun Batbayar met with Masaru Igawahara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Mongolia, Yasuhiro Ochi, CEO of Mobicom Corporation LLC, and other officials.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Masaru Igawahara expressed regret over the extensive environmental and ecosystem damage caused by wildfires in the Numrög strictly protected area.
She emphasised that the Government of Japan was ready to cooperate with Mongolia in restoring the affected area and protecting its ecosystem, and to provide comprehensive support. The meeting also proposed sending a Japanese expert specialising in nature conservation and restoration to the fire-affected area to exchange expertise with Mongolian specialists.
Yasuhiro Ochi, CEO of Mobicom Corporation LLC, expressed deep regret over the environmental damage and apologised to the people of Mongolia. He also thanked the personnel and officials who took part in firefighting efforts and pledged cooperation with the ongoing investigation, as well as future environmental protection and restoration initiatives.
Minister Sandag-Ochir noted that the Numrug strictly protected area has a unique ecosystem that preserves Mongolia’s pristine natural environment. He expressed regret over the severe damage caused by irresponsible human actions to this ecologically valuable area, which provides habitat for rare and endangered species.
The Minister stressed the need to strengthen environmental protection and restoration efforts and prevent similar incidents through cooperation among multiple stakeholders.
He also highlighted the importance of Japan’s experience and technical expertise in accurately assessing the fire damage and carrying out effective, science-based restoration work. - Go Go Mongolia/ANN
