Democracy News

Mongolian President Visits US Prior to Assuming the Community of Democracies Presidency
July 5, 2011
By: Carlos Aramayo | Printer Friendly

On June 16, Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj and United States (US) President Barack Obama met in Washington, DC during Elbegdorj’s final stop of his multi-city US tour. During the meeting both leaders affirmed the need to expand bilateral trade and economic relations, and intensify cooperation at many levels. Since Mongolia’s peaceful democratic revolution in the 1990s, which ended a 70-year authoritarian government without bloodshed, the country has sought closer ties with the US by sending Mongolian troops to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Located between China and Russia, Mongolia once the dominating world power, has pursued a careful foreign policy that does not disaffect its influential neighbors.

In a joint statement released by the White House, the US and Mongolia “reaffirmed their commitment to a comprehensive partnership based on common values and shared strategic interests.” According to the statement, both countries “emphasized their common interest in protecting and promoting freedom, democracy and human rights worldwide.”

Also on June 16, at an event at the Brookings Institution, a Washington based think tank, Elbegdorj stated that Mongolia "regards the United States of America as our first 'third neighbor' and we would like to improve that relation." Elbegdorj stressed his country’s role as a “regional democratic example.” “I think with the power of freedom, actually we (US and Mongolia) talk almost at the equal level, even though we have only 2.8 million people in Mongolia.  But that power of freedom makes Mongolia big and makes a big example,” Elbegdorj added. Mongolia has a free and vibrant press, allows street protests and does not routinely harass critics. However, the national parliament is heavily influenced by Mongolia’s version of “Russian oligarchs,” the Washington post reported.

Elbegdorj’s US tour was timely chosen since on July 1, Mongolia took over the rotating Community of Democracies (CD) Presidency from Lithuania. The CD is an intergovernmental organization of democracies and democratizing countries with a stated commitment to strengthening and deepening democratic norms and practices worldwide. The July 2011 Vilnius Ministerial gathering marked the beginning of the Mongolian Presidency of over the international body.    

The CD is composed of both a governmental component made up of government representatives, and a non-governmental component comprising civil society organizations who meet as a group at biennial ministerial conferences. In 2005, the Council for a Community of Democracies (CCD) became the Secretariat for the International Steering Committee of the Nongovernmental Process of the Community of Democracies (ISC/CD). The ISC/CD is the recognized representative of civil society within the framework of the Community of Democracies.

Sources:
The White House Office of the Press Secretary – U.S.-Mongolia Joint Statement

Washington Post – In Mongolia, lessons for Obama from Genghis Khan

AFP – Mongolia, US join hands on democracy, energy

The Brookings Institution – Mongolia’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century