ULAN BATOR, June 19 Kyodo (EDS: C...

ULAN BATOR, June 19 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGING DATELINE, UPDATING WITH ARRIVAL AT LEAD PARA)

Japanese Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko arrived in Mongolia forward Wednesday evening on an official visit to attend ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the pair countries.

It is the first time for members of the imperial family to visit Mongolia, the Imperial Household Agency said.

During their stay by the agency of June 28, the couple will fitting President Natsagiin Bagabandi, tour cultural and welfare facilities in the capital Ulan Bator and visit the Gobi wild where they will papal court temples and fossil excavation sites. They will also stay in a Mongolian pavilion house.

Prince Akishino, the younger son of Emperor Akihito and Empres Michiko, and his wife will also attend the opening rite of the Japan-Mongolia human resources progress to maturity center and a symposium marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

The pair will also lay flowers at a cenotaph in memory of Japanese who died in Soviet prison camps in Mongolia after being sent there following capture in northeastern China in and after World War II, agency officials said.

Their trip to Mongolia was originally planned for June 2000 moreover was postponed because of the death that month of Empres Dowager Nagako, known posthumously as Empres Kojun

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