New Delhi, Sep 14 - India Monday signed a civil nuclear pact with Mongolia and announced a soft loan of $25 million to bolster the economy of the resource-rich Central Asian country that has been hit by global recession.

With this pact, Mongolia, a former satellite state of the Soviet Union, became the sixth country after the US, France, Russia and Kazakhstan and Namibia to sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India.

India also inked four more agreements with Mongolia after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj here.

Describing the strategically located uranium-rich Mongolia as an important pillar of India's policy in the Asia-Pacific region, Manmohan Singh announced that the two countries have decided to upgrade their bilateral ties to comprehensive partnership.

The memorandum of agreement on 'development of cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of radioactive minerals and nuclear energy' was signed by senior officials in the department of atomic energy of the two countries.

Other agreements related to stabilisation loan assistance, health and medical science, cooperation in statistical matters and a cultural exchange programme for 2009-12.

Elbegdorj arrived here Sunday on a four-day visit.

The Mongolian president, along with his delegation comprising senior ministers and officials, will also visit Agra, Gaya and Mumbai.