By Anthony Marcus, correspondent. Eurasia Business News, September 2, 2024. Article no.1206

The Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived today in Mongolia on a state visit at the invitation of the country’s President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

At the airport in Ulaanbaatar, the Russian leader was met by a guard of honor.

On September 2, the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Yuri Ushakov said that the events of the “rich program” will be held on September 3. The President of Mongolia will meet the Russian President at the State Palace in the capital of the country. Both leaders will hold talks in a narrow and expanded format. They will discuss areas of cooperation between the countries, including industry, agriculture, energy, transport, international and regional cooperation, etc.

After the talks, presidents Putin and Khurelsukh will attend the signing ceremony of Russian-Mongolian intergovernmental documents and make a statement to the media. Then the President of Russia will hold talks with Chairman of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of Mongolia Dashzegviin Amarbayasgalan and Prime Minister of the country Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene.

The leaders of the countries will lay flowers at the monument to Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov, who led the troops in the battle of Khalkhin Gol that was fought from May to September 1939 against the Japanese armed forces. Vladimir Putin will also visit the school at the Ulaanbaatar branch of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (REU), which has been working in Russian and according to Russian standards for 25 years. Putin’s visit to Mongolia will end with a solemn reception.

On September 2, Vladimir Putin gave a written interview to the Mongolian newspaper Onoodor. In it, the Russian president said that Russia and Mongolia are linked by decades of cooperation in almost all areas. Russia was the first country to recognize the independence of Mongolia in 1921. The bilateral treaty, which consolidated relations at the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership, was signed on September 3, 2019 in Ulaanbaatar, when the 80th anniversary of “the joint victory over the Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol River” was celebrated.

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Vladimir Putin recalled that in recent years, new projects between the countries have been worked out, including the construction of a trans-Mongolian gas pipeline from Russia to China (Power of Siberia-2), the modernization of the Ulaanbaatar railway, the participation of Rosneft in the provision of a refueling complex at the new Genghis Khan International Airport, the reconstruction of CHPP-3 in Ulaanbaatar with the participation of Inter RAO-Export.

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Vladimir Putin said that Russia is interested in a trilateral format – a summit meeting between the heads of Russia, Mongolia and China. Separately, Putin commented on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline. He recalled that over the past few years, all the presidents of Mongolia have raised the issue of building a gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia. The decision to start preparatory work was made in 2021, and at the end of December 2023, the preparation of project documentation was completed. “By the way, if initially the Mongolian partners wanted to limit themselves only to a transit role, now the possibility of using part of the cheap pipeline gas for the development of your economy and infrastructure is being considered,” said Vladimir Putin.

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Mongolia will be the first country which ratified the Rome Statute to be visited by Vladimir Putin after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on August 30 that the Kremlin had “no worries” about this: “We have an excellent dialogue with our friends from Mongolia.” When asked whether there were negotiations with the country’s authorities about the ICC warrant during the coordination of the visit, Peskov replied that “all aspects of the visit were carefully prepared.”

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Vladimir Putin had held talks with President Khurelsukh on July 3, 2024 in Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Before that they met on October 17, 2023 in Beijing on the sidelines of the One Belt, One Road forum.

Mongolia and Russia established diplomatic relations on November 5, 1921 and opened embassies in Ulaanbaatar and Moscow in 1922. Since Mongolia’s democratization in the 1990s, ties have remained strong, with frequent presidential-level visits between the two countries. In 2019, Russia and Mongolia signed the Treaty on Friendly Relations and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, elevating their relationship to a new level.

Political Neutrality

Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Mongolia has chosen to remain politically neutral, emphasizing its commitment to a balanced foreign policy. This neutrality is essential for maintaining good relations with both Russia and China while also engaging with Western nations.

Balancing Relations

Mongolia’s geographical position between Russia and China necessitates a careful balancing act. While it maintains close ties with Russia, Mongolia also seeks to cultivate relationships with other nations, often referred to as its “third neighbors,” including the United States, Japan, and South Korea. This approach aims to enhance Mongolia’s sovereignty and reduce over-reliance on its two larger neighbors.

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© Copyright 2024 – Eurasia Business News. Article No. 1203.