British Foreign Secretary paid an official visit to
Mongolia from 25 – 26 April 2024 at the invitation of Foreign
Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh. The visit is a welcome opportunity
to reaffirm the partnership between Mongolia and the United
Kingdom, and to further strengthen cooperation between the two
countries.
Mongolia and the United Kingdom's diplomatic relations date back
to 23 January 1963 and marked 60 years in 2023. Today, the
British-Mongolian partnership is based on shared democratic
values and extends across a wide range of sectors including trade
and investment, peacekeeping, protecting the planet and
biodiversity, and cultural cooperation.
During the two day visit, Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister
Battsetseg Batmunkh had political discussions on bilateral
issues. In the programme, a cultural performance of Mongolia's
music and dance, and a visit to a secondary school, which has
implemented UK education provider Pearson's English Language
teaching curriculum, were included. During his official visit,
Foreign Secretary paid courtesy calls on H.E.
Mr. Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, President of Mongolia and H.E. Mr.
Oyun-Erdene, Prime Minister of Mongolia.
During official talks, the two sides exchanged views on further
strengthening bilateral relations, and reaffirmed their agreement
to broaden cooperation in areas such as trade and economy,
culture, education, tourism, digital governance, geology, and
agreed to launch a new initiative to support English language
training for Mongolia's teachers. They also discussed bilateral
collaboration to advance the sustainable development agenda, as
well as each nation's contribution to addressing climate change
through their national initiatives such as Mongolia's “1 Billion
Tree” commitment.
The two Foreign Ministers signed a “Joint Cooperation Roadmap
towards a Comprehensive Partnership” which further strengthens
the Third Neighbour partnership. The document includes
commitments on trade, cultural ties, environment, education,
science and technology, human rights, health and
peacekeeping. The two countries also signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on Critical Minerals which provides a framework for
partnership for promoting trade and investment in critical
minerals, sharing expertise for mapping and surveying of critical
mineral resources, and upholding Environmental, Social and
Governance standards and promoting transparency initiatives.
