The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC)) Mongolia Director Mr. Robert Reid paid a preliminary visit to Mongolia March 7 to 14 to begin implementation preparations for the U.S.-Mongolia Compact.  He met with U.S. Ambassador Mark Minton and other Embassy officials and began the process of establishing the MCC’s resident office within the U.S. Embassy.  Mr. Reid called on Cabinet Secretariat Chief N. Enkhbold and thanked him for facilitating the transition between Mongolia’s MCC National Council and the newly established Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Mongolia, which will be responsible for carrying out the US$285 million MCC Compact grant projects.  Mr. Reid encouraged the MCA-Mongolia Board to meet soon to review and appoint 12 key staff members that will manage and supervise Mongolia’s projects.  Mr. Reid also met with the Ministers of Health, Education, Science and Culture, Construction and Urban Development, and Roads, Transportation, and Tourism (all are MCA-Mongolia Board members), among others, to discuss initiation of the MCC Compact’s health, vocational and technical education, land registration, and railroad improvement projects.  Mr. Reid will return in late April to take up residence in Mongolia for the duration of the five-year Compact.