Ulaanbaatar, February 5, 2024 /MONTSAME/. The Regional Development-Mongolian Economic Forum was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on February 1-2, 2024, to define the future development of Mongolia. 

Under regional development, Mongolia is divided into six regions. These are: 

• Central Region: Darkhan-Uul, Selenge, and Tuv aimags, 
• Western Region: Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Khovd, Zavkhan, and Gobi-Altai aimags, 
• Khangai Region: Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, and Uvurkhangai aimags, 
• Northern Region: Bulgan, Orkhon, and Khuvsgul aimags, 
• Eastern Region: Dornod, Sukhbaatar, and Khentii aimags, 
• Gobi Region: Gobisumber, Dundgobi, Dornogobi, and Umnugobi aimags.

By exploring solutions and opportunities to address regional challenges, the two-day Regional Development Forum successfully identified economic priorities for each of the six regions. 

• The directions for the economic development of the Gobi region include petrochemical production, construction materials, energy production from various sources, heavy industry based on mining and mineral resources, paleontology, environment, religion, border tourism, ports, and transport logistics in the economic corridor. 
• The Central region identifies its priorities as building materials production, energy, and intensive agriculture, along with light and heavy industry, environmental conservation, business development, and border tourism. 
• For the Western region, the focus will be on agriculture, light industry production, environmental conservation, special interest and border tourism, development of ports and transport logistics based on economic corridors, and green energy production. 
• In the Khangai region, priority areas of development encompass agriculture, light industry, environmental conservation, history and culture, archaeology, health resort development, religious tourism, foreign and domestic trade, and developing the Khangai region as a hub for transport and logistics. 
• The Eastern region emphasizes ports based on the Economic Corridor.  transport logistics, intensive animal husbandry, history, culture, environmental conservation, and border and cross-border tourism
• The Northern region is defined by industrialization, heavy industry, science and technology, environmental conservation, health resort development, border tourism, and intensive agriculture.

Between January 18 and 30, 2024, preliminary discussions for the Regional Development-Mongolian Economic Forum took place across Mongolia. “A total of 969 representatives participated, bringing 440 (double counting) proposals and initiatives to the table,” noted Deputy Minister of Economy and Development of Mongolia Tuvdendorj Gantumur. 

Ch. Khurelbaatar summarized the conclusions and proposals put forward from the preliminary discussions in the regions.

Each of the six regions identified economic priorities based on available resources, unique characteristics, and strengths of the region. The preliminary discussions also covered issues of infrastructure, human resources, tax, investment, and the legal environment as driving forces. A total of 312 proposals and recommendations were made.