Ulaanbaatar, March 14, 2024. /MONTSAME/ The "Ulaanbaatar-Regional Development" Forum kicked off today at the State Palace. The Government of Mongolia has announced 2024 as the "Year of Supporting Regional Development", and this forum is being organized to discuss problems and solutions of the capital city and its development within the regional development policy.

Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai addressed the Forum. " Today, we are meeting with the representatives of each of the nine districts of the capital to discuss and jointly decide the development concept for the next 30 years, reviewing the mistakes and shortcomings accumulated in the capital in the last 30 years. In the last 30 years, more than half of the population has been concentrated in the capital, and numerous problems such as congestion and environmental pollution have arisen due to the wrong planning,” noted the Premier.

At the Forum, the discussions are taking place under four topics: "Infrastructure, energy, and heat supply", "Housing policy, access to basic social services", "Regional economic integration, satellite cities", and "Governance and legal reforms". Representatives of the government, private sector, and international organizations, scholars, and researchers have gathered to discuss the problems, opportunities, and solutions within the framework of these topics.

Today, 47.6 percent of the total population lives in Ulaanbaatar, which occupies 0.3 percent of the territory of Mongolia and the participants of the "Ulaanbaatar-Regional Development" conference are discussing the solutions for the emissions, congestion, urban planning errors, and other problems caused by this over-concentration within the framework of the Regional Development Policy. For example, under the topic "Infrastructure-Energy and Heat Supply" the participants are exchanging views on the current situation of the city's energy and infrastructure, how to ensure energy reliability in the future, and present opportunities for cooperation between the public and private sectors.

The preliminary discussion of the forum was held on March 7, 2024, and discussed the administrative reform of Ulaanbaatar, public-private partnership, planning and construction of the sub-centers, and the satellite city.

The Government is in the process of developing a new concept of regional development based on people’s opinions and proposals. By renewing and implementing the concept of the regional development, the Government expects to create the foundation for economic expansion in rural areas, make the economy multi-pillar, and stop migration to Ulaanbaatar.