Mongolia and Russia should work together to boost and expand cooperation in tourism, said Mongolian Prime Minister Nambaryn Enkhabaya at the International Winter Games in Irkutsk province of Russia on Monday.

PM Enkhabaya said he and Irkutsk Governor Boris Govorin stressed the need of setting up a common Russia`s Baikal-Mongolia`s Khubsugul tourism route, paving the way to boosting development of the two countries` smokeless industries as well as bilateral cooperation.

PM Enkhabaya who led a 60-member Mongolian delegation, paid a four-day visit to Irkutsk province from Mar. 6.

The two countries` two-way trade turnover reached 300 million USD in 2003. The two countries advocated developing eonomic partnership ties. Russia wrote off nearly 95 percent of the 11.4 billion USD loans owed by Mongolia during the former Soviet Union time. Mongolia has recently paid back 250 million USD in debt to Russia.--Enditem