KATHMANDU: An agreement has been reached between Nepal and Mongolia today so that the diplomatic passport bearers and government officials of both countries would not be obliged to take visa for visit to each country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has believed that this step would help strengthen bilateral ties in the days ahead.

The agreement was made after Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Prakash Sharan Mahat, and his Mongolian counterpart Tsend Munkh-Orgil held bilateral talks today at MoFA.

Minister Orgil is currently here on a three-day visit to Nepal from yesterday.

It is noted that Nepal and Mongolia had established diplomatic ties on January 5, 1961.

Following the meeting, Minister Mahat briefed the journalists that they agreed to form a think tank including representatives from the both countries and aimed at studying the common interests and the needs of the landlocked countries, as proposed by Mongolia.

He added that Nepal was positive regarding the proposal and assured support for the same.

Minister Mahat further said both countries agreed to hold discussions every two years at foreign ministers', secretaries' and officials' levels to strengthen the bilateral ties and added that such meeting would strengthen the diplomatic relations at the people-to-people level.

Mahat shared that Nepal pledged its support to Mongolia for setting up a monastery in Lumbini, for which, according to him, an agreement had been made between the two countries.

An agreement for cultural exchanges between Nepal and Mongolia for promotion of culture and tourism at people-to-people level has also been made.

Meanwhile, Mahat quoted Mongolian Foreign Minister Munkh-Orgil as saying that he commended Nepal's role through the United Nations for establishment of peace; and said that he was keen to learnfrom the experience of Nepal in this area.

Present in the bilateral meeting and agreement exchange programme were Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal and a high-level delegation from Mongolia comprising members of parliamentarians and non-resident Ambassador to Nepal.

Earlier Mahat, receiving Mongolian Foreign Minister Munkh-Orgil, had expressed his confidence that relations between Nepal and Mongolia would gain a new pace with his visit.

The visiting Mongolian Foreign Minister too expressed that his visit intended to further strengthen the Nepal-Mongolia ties.