ULAN BATOR, March 21 -- Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar called on Friday for closer trade ties with Russia.

    Speaking at a meeting with Konstantin Kosachev, head of the International Relations Committee of Russian State Duma, lower house the Russian parliament, Enkhbayar said the two countries have great potentials to increase bilateral trade.

    The Mongolian president said that it's time for the two countries to boost the cooperation on trade, economy and investment and both sides should improve the legal system and infrastructure for this purpose.

    Since 2006, Mongolia and Russia have increased their exchange in various fields and agreed to expand their scope of cooperation under a partnership deal.