French President Emmanuel Macron made a historic go to to Mongolia on Could 21 on the invitation of Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. Macron’s state go to, bringing with him a 54-people delegation, marks the high-level political will for Mongolia and France to advance their bilateral ties to a strategic-level partnership – one of many acknowledged objectives after the go to.
France and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in 1965. In Mongolia, France is acknowledged as one of many European international locations to have devotedly supported Mongolia’s independence, democracy, and modernization from an early stage. Particularly since Mongolia’s democratization within the early Nineties, the 2 international locations have shared a mutual understanding of the importance of democracy, human rights, and democratic governance.
For the reason that two established ties in 1965, France has obtained three presidential state visits from Mongolia. In 1996, the primary delegation was headed by Ochirbat Punsalmaa, adopted by Enkhbayar Nambar in 2007, and Elbegdorj Tsakhia in 2015. Every high-level assembly between the heads of state strengthened France-Mongolia diplomatic relations and paved the best way for businesses, companies, and establishments to cooperate on numerous points and initiatives.
On the prime ministerial degree, Mongolia despatched Byambasuren Sprint to Paris in 1992, Bayar Sanj in 2009, and Batbold Sukhbaatar in 2011. These diplomatic visits – albeit intermittent – demonstrated Ulaanbaatar’s curiosity in augmenting France-Mongolia relations. However Mongolia had by no means hosted France’s head of state – till now.
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Macron’s historic go to to Mongolia in the end cemented earlier makes an attempt to bolster the 2 international locations’ relations. His go to make clear three main areas for advancing France-Mongolia relations to a strategic partnership.
In the beginning, the timing of Macron’s state go to highlights Mongolia’s geostrategic location.
Regardless of its landlocked place, Ulaanbaatar’s international coverage stays multi-pillared and democratic. Subsequently, as international locations all over the world, significantly, democratic international locations search secure companions, Mongolia supplies a uncommon alternative. For France, as Macron is decided to strengthen its presence in East Asia below its Indo-Pacific Technique, Mongolia is a associate that can not be uncared for.
The second vital consequence was that Macron and Khurelsukh confirmed a political will to advance bilateral ties to a strategic partnership degree. Certainly, establishing a strategic partnership requires a sure degree of belief in governance, establishments, and mutually accepted and revered cultural ties. In 58 years of diplomatic ties, Mongolia and France have strengthened these elementary linkages. Macron’s go to demonstrates these shared values.
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Lastly, Macron’s high-level conferences with Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai clarified the importance of France’s curiosity in Mongolia, starting from funding and strengthening enterprise relations to cultural ties.
A diplomat, and main Mongolian worldwide relations scholar, Bayarkhuu Dashdorj, defined, “Macron’s state go to to Mongolia is a major step in advancing the 2 international locations’ relations. If Mongolia and France had been to ascertain a strategic partnership, this signifies the 2 international locations’ relations have entered the following degree. This itself a major indication of France’s respect and continued help for Mongolia’s democracy, human rights, and elementary ties as an vital third neighbor associate.”
Khurelsukh’s international coverage adviser acknowledged that Macron’s state go to to Mongolia illustrated – amongst many issues – Mongolia’s multi-pillared, balanced, and peaceable international coverage. Furthermore, he acknowledged, “Macron’s go to carries each political and geopolitical relevance. Additionally, it’s a main indication of Mongolia’s profitable utilization of the third neighbor international coverage.”
In a joint press convention with Macron, Khurelsukh reaffirmed France as an vital third neighbor associate and a rustic that has repeatedly devoted itself to supporting Mongolia’s democracy. For his half, Macron acknowledged that France considers Mongolia to be a “privileged associate.”
Within the Mongolia-France Joint Declaration, the 2 international locations declared mutual respect for the sturdy partnership between the 2 international locations, which is embedded in democracy, human rights, freedom, and the rule of legislation. Furthermore, as members of the United Nations, Mongolia and France declared the accountability of implementing a multilateral strategy selling peace, safety, stability, and sustainable growth.
The Joint Declaration additionally indicated areas of cooperation, akin to within the fields of “politics, protection, civil protection, financial system, commerce, funding, vitality, agriculture, communications, expertise, industrialization, schooling, science, tradition, and sports activities.”
One main space of cooperation between Mongolia and France is the strengthening of Mongolia’s civil safety sector. France has supplied help in strengthening Mongolia’s emergency response and catastrophe aid administration system. The 2 sides have agreed to increase this collaboration by offering skilled coaching in catastrophe aid operations and bringing the emergency crew to worldwide requirements and necessities.
Furthermore, France has proven growing curiosity in Mongolia’s local weather change, and air air pollution points. Macron praised Khurelsukh’s “One Billion Tree” initiative as a part of Mongolia’s dedication to the Paris Settlement. One of many main infrastructure initiatives at the moment below dialogue is creating an environmentally pleasant aerial transportation system in Ulaanbaatar.
The 2 sides can even develop cooperation in area science and communication satellites for peaceable functions.
In an interview, Mongolia’s ambassador to France, Nyamkhuu Ulambayar, touched on the significance of bilateral relations, significantly the 2 international locations’ cooperation and success in protection, commerce, schooling, funding, mining, and the well being sector. She added that the civil safety sector, husbandry, and schooling sectors have been essentially the most energetic and profitable areas of cooperation. Since 2015, France and Mongolia have collectively offered funds for 10 college students to review in France annually.
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From a political and governance perspective, Macron’s historic state go to reaffirmed Paris’ respect for the elemental democratic values shared by each international locations. Every assembly between the heads of state strengthened France-Mongolia diplomatic ties, however extra importantly, it has paved the best way for presidency businesses, non-public companies, and different civil establishments to cooperate on numerous points and initiatives.
With bilateral relations approaching their sixtieth anniversary in two years, Mongolia and France are on their solution to advance ties to a strategic partnership degree.
We could quickly see extra progress as nicely: French President Emmanuel Macron formally invited Khurelsukh to pay a state go to to France in October.
