The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, signed today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the first agreement on air transport services between Italy and Mongolia with the Mongolian State Secretary of Ministry of Roads and Transport, Sandagdorj Batbold.
This agreement is the first of its kind between the two countries and it will establish a comprehensive regulatory and reference framework aimed at enabling the activation of direct air connections between Italy and Mongolia. The text, in line with European legislation on the protection and development of competition and air transport safety, provides for multi-designation of companies and ensures an adequate number of operating weekly frequencies, it indicates the airports open to both countries and allows the possibility of using a wide range of direct and indirect services in cooperation between carriers of the two countries and third-party countries. Furthermore, the EU designation clause will allow our aviation authorities to designate companies from other EU Member States based in Italy to operate from Italy to Mongolia and vice versa. Today’s agreement paves the way for a series of regulatory acts and agreements that will lead to the establishment of direct flights.
Mongolia is one of the Asian countries that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs points to as new outlet markets in the context of “growth diplomacy,” which guides the Italian government’s foreign trade policy.
“We must relaunch political dialogue with Mongolia,” said Minister Tajani. “It Is important to have signed the first agreement on air transport services: I now hope that the first direct air connections will be quickly activated, starting with the one between Bergamo-Orio al Serio and Ulaanbaatar airports, for which work has already begun for some time”.
“Mongolia is a very promising economic-commercial and cultural partner,” Tajani continued: “Our commercial interchange, which reached € 159 million in 2023, has ample room for growth and our companies look with great interest to the Mongolian market. This is demonstrated by the growth of Italian exports in recent years, mainly in the machinery, clothing, furniture and footwear sectors. Italy is also the first importer of cashmere from Mongolia among the G7 countries and the first in the world after China. The activation of direct air links will also strengthen institutional relations: I would also like to mention the important role of the CNR, which is at the forefront of the implementation of an innovative EU waste management project in Ulaanbaatar, and of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which has recently activated a $ 20 million loan to Khan Bank to foster the growth of micro and small and medium-sized businesses in the cashmere industry”.
