DHAKA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks on Sunday with his counterpart during a visit to Mongolia, with the two nations upgrading relations as Delhi tries to strengthen its influence in China’s backyard.

Meeting Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbileg, Modi praised the resource-rich nation as ‘the new bright light of democracy in our world’ and said the two were ‘closely linked to the future of the Asia-Pacific region’.

Mongolia is seeking to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the landlocked nation. The leaders signed a joint statement upgrading relations to a ‘strategic partnership’, just a year after Mongolia and China reached a similar agreement.

Other agreements included a US$1 billion line of credit from India to support the expansion of Mongolia’s infrastructure, and promises to deepen cooperation on border security and defense, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1545 HRS, MAY 17, 2015
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