In the last two weeks, Mongolia and the United States have exchanged high-level visits and launched their first Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue. Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh’s visit to Washington D.C. and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Ulaanbaatar marked the advancement of the Mongolia-U.S. strategic partnership in a variety of fields.
On July 23 in Washington, Blinken received the Mongolian delegation headed by Battsetseg and Mongolian Ambassador to the U.S. Batbayar Ulziidelger. Battsetseg’s visit to Washington was significant on its own right, as the first such exchange under the newly established coalition government of Mongolia. Mongolia had a parliamentary election in late June, which resulted in the formation of a coalition government. Battsetseg was re-appointed as foreign minister by the new government.
In a press conference with Blinken, Battsetseg emphasized that her U.S. trip marked the first foreign visit since the establishment of the new government two weeks ago.
Moreover, her trip launched a new dialogue mechanism, known as the Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue. According to Montsame, Mongolia’s national news agency, the first Mongolia-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue included “seven themed sessions on mutual interests and exchanged views on deepening the relations and cooperation between Mongolia and the United States in politics, defense, trade, education, and culture sectors, developing humanitarian relations, and people-to-people ties under the Strategic Third Neighbor Partnership…”
The U.S. State Department read-out focused on advances made in “economic cooperation and resiliency” and “people-to-people ties” at the dialogue.
The Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue serves as a mechanism for stronger and deeper dialogue and communication between Washington and Ulaanbaatar. The dialogue mechanism is paramount to Mongolia’s multi-pillared foreign policy as it is utilized not only in bilateral relations but also in multilateral platforms such as the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security.
During a joint press briefing, Blinken highlighted that bilateral interactions between Mongolia and the U.S. have strengthened in recent years.
Just over a week after the Mongolia-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue, Blinken arrived in Ulaanbaatar as part of a six-country tour of Asia. Blinken’s visit to Mongolia marks the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state since John Kerry’s in 2016, where he hailed Mongolia as an “oasis of democracy in a tough neighborhood.”
On August 1, Blinken met with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa and Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai. During the official meeting, Khurelsukh emphasized that Mongolia “attaches great significance to its relationship with the United States,” which described as a “trusted partner, strategic partner, and close friend.”
Khuelsukh said that “one of the priorities of Mongolia’s foreign policy is [to] further strengthen our relationship with the United States,” and pointed out that Blinken’s visit to Mongolia so soon after hosting Battsetseg in Washington “is a clear demonstration of the U.S. commitments to further expand our cooperation.”
Moreover, in the reception of Blinken, Oyun-Erdene highlighted the growing partnership between Ulaanbaatar and Washington, “The United States is not only our strategic third neighbor but also a longstanding partner in many fields of cooperation, fueling the ‘Go Mongolia’ spirit,” the prime minister declared. He added that the U.S. “is our guiding north star on our democratic journey.”
As a gesture of Mongolia-U.S. partnership, Blinken was gifted a Mongolian horse.
Since the inauguration of the Mongolia-U.S. strategic partnership in 2019, the bilateral ties between the two countries have continued to grow.
One notable development is the 2024 Open Skies Agreement, which was reached during Oyun-Erdene’s visit to Washington last year. The agreement paved the way for “greater air connectivity between the United States and Mongolia,” with the goal of eventually providing direct passenger flights between the two.
The Open Skies Agreement has the potential to not only diversify Mongolia’s economy but also strengthen people-to-people ties, increasing cultural and educational exchanges. This is particularly important for the Mongolian communities in the U.S., as they will have direct access to traveling back and forth. Another economic incentive for the Open Skies Agreement is the hope of increasing U.S. tourism to Mongolia.
On the U.S. side, Washington’s support for democratic Mongolia can strengthen the strategic partnership and create doors for cooperation opportunities. Mongolia’s democratic institution and recent promotion of critical minerals is a crucial incentive for Washington to value Mongolia as a strategic partner.
According to the Joint Statement of U.S.-Mongolia Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue, “Our joint belief in strong democratic institutions, the rule of law, and respect for human rights is the foundation of the U.S.-Mongolia relationship. The two countries also remain committed to bolstering and empowering civil society organizations, which play an important role in our democracies.”
The recent high-level visits between Mongolia and the United States demonstrate a significant effort from both sides to accelerate the strategic partnership. As the U.S. presidential election is coming up in November, having a strong and forward-looking dialogue with the U.S. administration is crucial for Mongolia’s foreign policy endeavors.
On the occasion of Blinken’s visit to Ulaanbaatar, U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia, Richard Buangan stated, “The strength of U.S.-Mongolian diplomacy is friendship.”